12 Holiday Cyber Scams — Stay Safe This 2025

The holidays are supposed to be warm, bright, and—let’s be honest—a little hectic. Cybercriminals love that. They ramp up phishing, fake stores, delivery cons, and other tricks precisely when people are distracted, buying gifts, and clicking tracking links. Agencies and security firms warned of a surge in holiday-related fraud and increasingly sophisticated tactics for 2024–2025, so it’s smart to go into the season expecting scammers to be creative and persistent.

Below are 12 holiday scams to watch for in 2025, how they work, the red flags that give them away, and clear steps you can take to avoid getting burned.

1. Fake delivery & “missed package” phishing

How it works: You get an urgent text or email claiming a package couldn’t be delivered. The message asks you to click a tracking link or pay a fee to re-route the parcel—clicking can deliver malware or a credential-stealing webpage. Red flags: Unexpected delivery alerts, links that don’t match the carrier’s official domain, or messages that ask for payment. Stay safe: Don’t click links—open the carrier’s official app or website and search by your order number. Report suspicious messages.

2. Bogus online stores & too-good-to-be-true deals

How it works: Scammers spin up storefronts that mimic known brands or lure with massive discounts. You pay and never receive the goods, or you receive knockoffs. Red flags: New domain names, no HTTPS, bad grammar, stock photos copied from other sites, or checkout pages that only accept unusual payment methods. Stay safe: Shop from reputable retailers, check seller reviews, and use a credit card (chargeback protection). The FTC and BBB regularly warn about fake holiday shops.

3. Phony charities and fundraising appeals

How it works: Heart-wrenching posts or emails claim to raise money for disaster relief or families in need. Scammers pocket donations or steal payment data. Red flags: Pressure for immediate donations, requests via gift card, or charity names that are one letter off from the real charity. Stay safe: Verify charities through charity watchdogs or official sites before donating; donate directly from the charity’s verified website.

4. QR code and “brushing” scams

How it works: You receive an unsolicited package or flyer with a QR code. Scanning it opens a malicious site or prompts a fraudulent app download. New variations combine “brushing” (fake review packages) with QR exploitation. Red flags: QR codes from unknown senders, requests to enter payment or personal details after scanning. Stay safe: Don’t scan QR codes from unknown sources; type known URLs manually and keep your device security updated. The FBI recently warned about QR-code lures.

5. Gift card scams

How it works: Scammers pose as employers, tech support, or family members and demand gift cards as payment (often “for safety checks” or “urgent help”). Once you share the code, it’s gone. Red flags: Any request for payment via gift cards, especially from someone who pressures you or asks you not to tell anyone. Stay safe: Gift cards are for gifts—never use them to pay bills or “verify” accounts.

6. Social media giveaway & influencer scams

How it works: Fake giveaways ask you to “claim” a prize by entering personal info or clicking links. Scammers harvest data or install malware. Red flags: Accounts with low followers suddenly offering big prizes, DMs that ask for personal details, or links to sites off-platform. Stay safe: Confirm giveaways on the official brand account and never provide sensitive info to claim a prize.

7. AI-enhanced phishing (more convincing than ever)

How it works: AI helps scammers craft highly believable messages, mimic writing style, or generate fake images to impersonate people and brands. These messages can be much harder to spot. Red flags: Extremely tailored messages that still ask for a code, payment, or login—especially if they create urgency. Stay safe: Pause before responding, verify via a separate channel (call or known contact), and beware of requests for codes or passwords. Security firms flagged rising AI-driven holiday scams for 2024–25.

8. Fake travel bookings and boarding-pass traps

How it works: Scammers send fake flight or hotel notifications with links to “reschedule” or “confirm” which steal credentials or payment info. Posting boarding passes publicly can also leak personal data. Red flags: Unexpected changes requiring immediate action via email links. Stay safe: Manage bookings through airline websites or trusted travel agents and avoid sharing boarding pass photos with visible barcodes/QRs.

9. Malicious holiday e-cards and attachments

How it works: Festive e-cards or greeting attachments contain malware. Opening them on a vulnerable device can compromise data. Red flags: Attachments from unknown senders or unusual file types (.exe, .scr, .apk). Stay safe: Preview cards in the messaging platform, don’t download unexpected attachments, and use an up-to-date antivirus.

10. Fake customer-service or delivery account takeover attempts

How it works: Attackers impersonate customer service to get account passwords, or ask for verification codes to hijack accounts. Once in, they can order on your dime or defraud your contacts. Red flags: Requests for one-time passwords, verification codes, or account details. Legit services won’t ask for these in DMs. Stay safe: Never share verification codes. Use two-factor authentication (2FA) on important accounts.

11. Reshipping/mule job offers

How it works: Scammers ask you to receive packages and forward them—often money-laundering or stolen goods. You get little pay and big legal risk. Red flags: Work-from-home delivery schemes that require your address or payment setup. Stay safe: Don’t accept or forward packages for strangers; decline offers that ask you to use your personal address for third-party shipments.

12. Post-holiday sale & return scams

How it works: After the rush, fake “sale” or “return” emails lure people into clicking bogus links that steal credentials or payment info. Scammers capitalize on the flurry of exchanges and returns. Red flags: Emails urging immediate returns via a link or asking to log in through a provided link. Stay safe: Start returns through the retailer’s official site or your original account—don’t follow email links.