In short: Holiday and seasonal scams are the cons that spike around shopping season, year-end giving and New Year celebrations. They include fake online stores with extreme discounts, delivery texts saying your parcel failed and needs a re-delivery fee, phony charity requests, prize giveaways, and social media gift exchanges promising many gifts in return for one. Those gift exchanges, such as Secret Santa or Secret Sister, are pyramid schemes, and you will not get what was promised. The mantra to remember is that if it is too good to be true, it is likely untrue. Instead of clicking a link in a message, go to the retailer's or delivery company's official site or app yourself, and check the URL for misspellings. Donate only through charity websites you look up and know, and pay with a credit card or PayPal so you have some recourse. Shop carefully and the season stays about the good surprises.
Holiday & Seasonal Scams
The holidays bring giving, shopping, and celebration – and unfortunately, they also bring scammers. Seasonal scams spike around the holidays: from fake online deals on Black Friday, to charity cons at year-end, to New Year’s “prize” scams and beyond. We’ll keep the tone warm and supportive (it is the holidays, after all!) while shining a light on the bah-humbug fraudsters to avoid. With our tips, you can enjoy the season’s festivities with your money and information secure. Let’s make sure the only surprises you get this season are the good kind, like presents – not scams!
Practical Tips for a Scam-Free Holiday
- Be Skeptical of Extreme Discounts: Holiday sales are great, but scammers push too-good-to-be-true offers to tempt you. If you see a 90% off ad on social media for a high-demand item (like a luxury bag or the latest console), it could be a fake e-commerce site. Stick to reputable retailers and cross-check deals on official websites. Remember, scammers mimic logos and site designs, so inspect the URL for misspellings and ensure it starts with https:// for security.
- Guard Against Phishing & “Smishing”: You’re likely to receive emails or texts about package deliveries, order confirmations, or holiday deal alerts. Treat unsolicited messages with caution. A common scam is a text saying, “Your package delivery failed, click here to reschedule.” The link can lead to a fake site asking for personal info or a malware download. Instead of clicking, go to the delivery service’s official site or app to check your package status. Similarly, an email claiming “Problem with your Amazon order – log in here” is phishing if you didn’t order anything. When in doubt, navigate to the retailer’s site manually.
- Watch Out for Gift Exchange Pyramids: Every holiday season, schemes like “Secret Santa Gift Exchange – send one gift, get 6–36 in return!” make rounds on social media. No matter the theme (Secret Sister, Secret Santa Dog, etc.), they’re illegal pyramid schemes. You will not get those promised gifts, and you risk exposing your personal info to strangers. If you see friends sharing these, gently let them know it’s a scam and not to participate or forward it.
- Only Donate on Official Platforms: Scammers know we’re generous during holidays. They will send fake charity emails or create social posts for bogus holiday drives (toy drives, veteran support, etc.). To safely donate, go directly to known charity websites or use trusted services (many large charities have “.org” websites). Avoid donation requests via direct message from unknown people, especially if they ask for wire transfers or gift cards.
- Beware of Holiday “Freebies” and Giveaways: “Click here to get a $1000 gift card – limited Holiday promotion!” Such messages are almost always scams to collect your data or card details. Recently, scammers impersonated a popular grocery chain (H-E-B) with a fake $8,000 gift card giveaway, fooling people into filling out surveys with personal info. Assume any unsolicited giveaway or prize notification is fake unless you can verify it on an official company site. Real giveaways won’t ask you to pay an upfront fee to claim a prize, either.
Real-Life Scenario: Secret Santa Scam on Social Media
Ever see those holiday gift exchange invites on Facebook and wonder if they’re legit? Spoiler: They’re not. For instance, in late 2024 a “ Secret Santa Dog ” exchange went viral. It claimed if you buy a $10 gift for someone’s dog, you’ll receive 6–36 gifts in return for your pup, as more people join in. Cute concept, right? Sadly, it ends the way the BBB describes: once people stop joining in, the gift supply stops too, “leaving hundreds of disappointed people without their promised gifts or cash.” Turns out, this was just a rebranded pyramid scam – there was no pool of gifts, just scammers collecting names and addresses (and possibly using the info for future spam). The BBB and law enforcement frequently warn about these “Secret Santa” or “Secret Sister” exchanges as illegal scams . They surface year after year in different forms. If you get an invite to one, the safest move is to ignore or report it. Remember, gifting should come with no strings attached – any scheme that promises you multiples in return is not in the holiday spirit, it’s fraud.
Scam Radar: Holiday Shopping Scam Surge
Our Scam Radar is pinging with the surge in holiday shopping scams . As online shopping hit record highs, scammers stepped up creation of fake retail websites and phony shipping notices. In 2024, millions of fake reviews and ads flooded the internet, drawing consumers to scam sites that mimic real stores. A notable trend was scammers impersonating reputable brands for big-ticket items. For example, one scam site pretended to be the luxury Christmas decor retailer Balsam Hill, advertising 90% off holiday trees. Shoppers who took the bait entered credit card info and never received a thing. Likewise, phishing emails pretending to be FedEx/UPS with “action required” peaked around Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Many people reported nearly falling for texts about parcels needing a “re-delivery fee” – which links to credential-stealing sites. The underreported angle here is how convincing these scams have become – some fake store sites have live chat, countdown timers, and professional photos. The best defense is a practiced skepticism and using secure payment methods. If you stick to credit cards or PayPal, you have some recourse if scammed. And trust your instincts: a site with no contact info or one that only accepts unusual payment forms is a red flag. This holiday season (and beyond), let’s shop smart and keep the grinches at bay.
Quick Takeaways
- Holiday scam mantra: “If it’s too-good-to-be-true, it’s likely untrue.” Ultra-cheap deals and extravagant giveaways are major red flags.
- Inspect URLs and sender info on shopping sites, order emails, and delivery texts. Slight misspellings or strange domains can tip off a fake. Don’t click links from unsolicited messages – go to the source.
- Avoid social media gift exchange schemes promising lots of gifts in return for one. They’re pyramid scams that leave you empty-handed (and on scammer mailing lists).
- Charity at year-end: Give safely by sticking with known organizations. Be wary of new charities that appeared overnight on social media, especially if they pressure you on the spot.
- Tool Tip: Over the holidays, turn on identity and account monitoring so fraud is caught early, and use safe browsing plus a VPN on public Wi-Fi.
