’TIS the season of giving…but also for taking, if you’re a cyber-crook. Brits are set to be targeted by as many as a dozen Christmas cons aimed at pilfering thousands of pounds from your bank account.
Security experts have revealed how crooks come out in droves during the holiday season as Brits splash out and let their guards down. Worse still, the scammers are so cunning that you might not see them coming. So here are what security pros reckon are the 12 Scams of Christmas – and the five questions you need to ask yourself to stay safe every time.
Crooks will take advantage of the fact that you’re rushing around to get everything prepped for December 25 – so take a breath, and consider if something is unusual or unexpected.
1. FESTIVE PHISHING
Phishing isn’t exactly a new phenomenon, but it spikes with renewed cruelty around the holiday season.
It’s when crooks pretend to be an official brand or important person to trick you.
“Fraudulent emails or texts offering fake gifts or discounts are rampant,” said security expert Ian Porteous.
Watch out for deals that seem too good to be true – they probably are.
You’ll also want to look out for very vague language in messages (because they’re sent out in bulk), poor formatting or typos, and texts or emails that don’t include your name or personal info. They’re all major red flags.
“Cybercriminals love Christmas just as much as shoppers do, but for all the wrong reasons,” said Ian, regional director for security engineering at Check Point Software, speaking to The Sun.
“This time of year, people are more exposed due to the sheer volume of digital interactions.
“Shopping online, sending e-cards, and grabbing festive deals.
“That makes it the perfect opportunity for scammers.”
If you’re unsure about a text or email, it’s best to check in with the brand directly – don’t click anything in the message.
2. SECOND-HAND SALES
Second on the list of sinister wheezes is the second-hand scale scam.
“Online resale platforms boom at Christmas, but so do fake listings for items that don’t exist,” Ian told us.
“Stick to trusted platforms, use secure payment methods, and be wary of prices that look too good to be true.”
To expose this one, watch out for shockingly low prices, sellers rushing you and websites that you’ve never heard of.
Even new gear can be a scam: be wary of products popping up on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok that might look slick – but are actually being flogged by untrustworthy merchants with poor (or absent) customer service. Make sure to check the retailer on Trustpilot, look for comments about the merchant on Reddit, and see if the business is registered and legitimate (on Companies House in the UK, for instance).
3. BOGUS GIFT CARDS
Another classic scam is the bogus gift card – and it’s especially effective around Christmas, experts say.
THE FIVE QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF
Javvad Malik, of KnowBe4, said to always ask yourself the same five questions.
He told The Sun that by going through your own checklist with any online request, you can save yourself from some of the worst scams.
Here’s the list of questions to ask yourself:
- Was I expecting this?
- Is this how we normally do it?
- Is this invoking an emotional response?
- Is it time-sensitive (rushing me)?
- Have I checked it somewhere else?
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“Gift cards make great presents, but can also be used by scammers to deliver malware or steal money,” Ian told us.
“Always buy them from official stores – never from email links or social media adverts.”
4. FAKE COURIER TEXTS
Christmas time is the season of deliveries – and it’s hard to keep track of them.
Security pro Javvad Malik warned the crooks would send texts posing as “Royal Mail, DPD, Evri” – the common couriers.
Javvad, a cybersecurity expert at KnowBe4, said these texts will often claim that they “tried and failed to deliver”.
And they’ll typically demand “a small fee to release it”.
If you’re ever asked for money for a package, check with the company directly – and don’t use contact details included in the text. They might be fraudulent.
5. MALICIOUS E-CARDS
Once upon a time, the only way to deliver Christmas greetings was in person, over the phone, or by post.
But thanks to the internet, cards can be (and often are) sent virtually. Crooks know this, and exploit it over email and text.
“Digital greetings can hide nasty surprises,” Ian warned Sun readers.
“Only open e-cards from people you know and keep your device’s security software up to date.”
By updating your device, it protects your mobile against known security loopholes that crooks could exploit once you’ve clicked a dodgy link.
It’s a free and easy way to stay safe.
6. SIM SWAPPING
Another ruthless con is SIM swapping.
This is typically when crooks use social engineering to convince a mobile network to give them control of your SIM card – only to unleash havoc.
It’s especially profitable at Christmas because they can use your stolen social media accounts to scam other people.
CHRISTMAS CONS? DON’T PANIC!
Christmas scams are everywhere – but don’t panic just yet..
Here’s the advice from The Sun’s tech editor Sean Keach…
Christmas scams feel especially cruel given the time of year.
It’s meant to be a season of goodwill – but for crooks, it’s all about taking advantage of yours.
But the good news, if there is any, is that Christmas scams aren’t particularly special.
They follow exactly the same formats of the kind of online cons we see all year round.
Cybercriminals will put their own festive spin on their dastardly wheezes, but the same old advice for avoiding them still applies.
As always, you’ll want to watch out for key signs of scams, like being rushed, contact from unknown numbers, requests for money or info, deals that seem too good to be true, or warnings that are especially vague.
These are all hallmarks of online scams – at Christmas or in the height of summer.
If you’re ever worried, check in with your friends or family.
Taking just a few minutes to do some due diligence might mean saving hours, days, or even weeks of misery trying to sort out the mess from a successful cyberattack.
Money can vanish in the blink of an eye online – and it can be very difficult, and sometimes even impossible, to get it back.
Worse still, if a crook hijacks your accounts, they could use them to target your friends and family too.
So remember to stay calm and don’t let anyone rush you online.
A reputable bank or business never would – but it’s a scammer’s favourite trick.
Picture Credit: Sean Keach
“Criminals can clone your SIM card to hijack your bank or social media accounts,” Ian told The Sun.
“Protect yourself by enabling two-factor authentication and asking your mobile provider to add extra verification steps.”
7. CHARITY SCAMS
Particularly cruel at Christmas are the charity scams.
Javvad says that this is when crooks mock up “fake charities trying to pull a fast one during the season of giving”.
Studies have shown that people are significantly more likely to donate to charities around Christmas.
If you’re unsure, you can use the Government’s free online charity register to search charity names, numbers, their date of registration, and by where it operates.
Always do your research before handing over money, so you can make sure it’s really going to those in need.
8. FAKE TRAVEL
Another festive ploy involves fake travel services that exploit people’s tendency to move around over Christmas.
Plenty of people book coaches, trains, and flights to see family or get some winter sun – and crooks will take advantage of this.
“Cybercriminals create lookalike holiday booking sites and apps to steal payment details,” Ian warned.
“Before booking, check for HTTPS in the URL and avoid downloading travel apps from unknown sources.”
HTTPS is a sign that the website connection is encrypted and your communications aren’t being spied on.
It’s often not included at the start of scam URLs, so that’s an immediate sign that you shouldn’t be interacting with a website.
You should also look out for typos, strange URLs that look like official brands but are a bit off (like b00king.com, for example), a lack of reviews (or terrible ratings) on Trustpilot, incomplete parts of the website, no social media presence and a website packed with cheap stock or AI-generated imagery.
9. URGENT FAVOURS
Urgent favours are also a common ploy at Christmas and other times of the year too.
This can work in two ways.
One might be that your boss or a family member comes to you with an urgent request for cash (often in the form of gift cards, which are harder to trace and retrieve).
They might contact you from an unknown number, saying they’re using a new or borrowed device.
Or the second version is that their own account has been hacked, and they’re coming to you via “WhatsApp or email”, Javvad warned.
REPORTING SCAMS
Here’s the official advice on reporting scams from Action Fraud…
Have you spotted a suspicious email?
If you have received an email which you’re not quite sure about, forward it to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS): [email protected]
Have you received a suspicious text message?
Suspicious text messages should be forwarded to 7726. This free-of-charge short code enables your provider to investigate the origin of the text and take action, if found to be malicious.
Have you received a suspicious phone call?
If you’ve lost money or have been hacked as a result of responding to a call, you should report it:
- In England, Wales or Northern Ireland, report it to us online or by calling 0300 123 2040.
- In Scotland, report to Police Scotland by calling 101.
If you have not lost any money or responded to the call, you should report report scam call numbers free of charge to 7726. Your provider can find our where the call came from and block or ban the number.
To report a scam call, simply text 7726 with the word ‘Call’ followed by the scam.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU’RE SCAMMED
Here’s the advice from Citizens Advice:
Contact your bank immediately if:
- there’s a payment from your bank account you don’t recognise – this is known as an ‘unauthorised transaction’
- you’ve used your debit card and more money was taken than you expected
“Explain what’s happened and ask if you can get a refund,” Citizens Advice said.
“If you’re not happy with how the bank deals with your claim, you can complain to them. Find out how to do this by checking their website.
“If it’s been 8 weeks since you complained, and you haven’t got your money back, contact the Financial Ombudsman.”
You will need to give your bank as much detail about the scam as you can. That includes exactly what info you may have handed over to the scammers – or if you’ve downloaded any dodgy files.
That way, they can prevent more money from being taken from you in the future.
You should then contact the police about the scam.
For your family members, set up a safe word in advance so you can always verify urgent requests for money.
And for your boss, call them to verify that it’s really them asking for cash.
10. PUBLIC WI-FI TRAPS
Public Wi-Fi is extremely handy, but can also pose security risks.
“Free Wi-Fi in airports and cafes can be a hacker’s dream,” Ian warned.
“Avoid accessing sensitive accounts like online banking unless you’re using a VPN.”
Google warned about using public Wi-Fi earlier this year.
Many major websites and services will use encryption to protect you from hackers snooping on your activity.
But it’s best to be safe and avoid doing anything very serious or sensitive over public Wi-Fi.
If you need to, a VPN can be a great tool. It’s a type of app that’s often linked to piracy – but it’s actually an important security device.
It encrypts your internet activity – scrambling it into nonsense – so that anyone spying on you can’t see what you’re doing.
TV pirates love to exploit this, but it’s also very useful as a way to protect yourself against spying.
Just make sure to do your research and use a paid VPN app on your device that has lots of reviews. Security experts usually warn against free VPNs, as they may be spying on you themselves. It’s best to go for a paid-for VPN from a well-known company.
11. PAYMENT FAILURE
This is similar to the delivery scam, so it’s also very common at Christmas.
It’ll typically take the form of an email or text saying that “your payment failed” or that “your Christmas order couldn’t be processed”.
It’s taking advantage of the fact that we all make so many orders at Christmas.
So just one of these mass-mailed messages has to land at the right time for the right person – and suddenly they’re a victim.
Always check with the outlet that you’ve shopped with to make sure that your order is fine or not. Don’t just click a link or hand over money.
12. HOLIDAY JOBS & SIDE-HUSTLES
Last but certainly not least are the holiday job scams.
Maybe you need some more cash for Christmas and want to pick up some extra work.
Holiday jobs aren’t exactly in short supply over the festive season, and crooks will take advantage of the fact that lots of people are on the hunt for these roles.
Usually the scam involves asking you to “pay an upfront fee for training or admin”, Javvad warned.
And he said that sometimes you can even end up accidentally becoming a “money mule” for criminal organisations.
Do your due diligence and check the legitimacy of companies. Look them up on Companies House. Do they have a real address that you can visit? Are the owners on LinkedIn? Do they have good Glassdoor reviews?
Don’t hand over money for a holiday job – it’s as red a flag as they come.
