‘Tis the Season… for Scammers: Protect Yourself and Your Workplace

As the holiday season approaches, cybercriminals are gearing up for their busiest time of year. With online shopping, travel bookings, charitable donations, and year-end corporate activity all surging between November and January, scammers know that both individuals and businesses are more distracted—and more vulnerable.

The spike in fraudulent activity is significant. Federal agencies have reported sharp increases in phishing attempts, online purchase scams, and business email compromise (BEC), making the holidays a prime season for digital crime. Companies and employees alike need to stay watchful to avoid becoming victims.

Why Holiday Season = Peak Scam Season

Several conditions make the end of the year especially risky:

1. Increased Digital Activity

Employees are shopping online more, often from work devices or shared networks. Travel confirmations, shipping alerts, and flash-sale emails fill inboxes—providing perfect camouflage for fake messages designed to steal credentials or install malware.

2. Heightened Stress and Distraction

Between Q4 deadlines, holiday planning, and reduced staffing due to PTO, employees are more likely to click quickly, approve without verifying, or overlook red flags.

3. Large Year-End Financial Transactions

Year-end vendor payments, bonuses, and contract renewals create opportunities for scammers to insert fraudulent invoices or impersonate executives.

4. Seasonal Social Engineering

Cybercriminals exploit holiday themes such as gift exchanges, charity drives, and package deliveries to trick users into revealing information or sending money.

Top Scams to Watch Out For

1. Phishing and Smishing Disguised as Holiday Messages

These messages mimic retailers, shipping companies, or internal departments (HR, IT, Finance). They often include:

Fake tracking numbers
Password reset notices
Gift card confirmations
Holiday bonuses or payroll updates

The goal: capture login credentials or deliver malware.

Red flags:

Unexpected attachments
Slightly altered email addresses
Urgent language (“respond immediately,” “final notice”)

2. Fake Online Stores and “Too Good to Be True” Deals

Fraudulent e-commerce sites spike during the holidays. They offer steep discounts on popular items, collect payment, and never ship the product—or worse, steal card information.

Employees who reuse passwords across personal and work accounts create an additional risk by exposing corporate logins.

3. Business Email Compromise (BEC) and Vendor Fraud

BEC remains one of the most financially damaging forms of cybercrime. Scammers may:

Impersonate a CEO asking for an urgent wire transfer
Hijack a legitimate vendor email to update “new” banking details
Insert themselves into ongoing email threads

Finance teams under year-end pressure are more likely to approve payments quickly without verification.

4. Gift Card Scams

A classic holiday tactic: an impersonated executive urgently asks an employee to buy gift cards for client appreciation or staff rewards. Once the numbers are sent, the funds are gone.

Legitimate businesses do not conduct transactions via gift cards.

5. Fake Charities and Donation Requests

Cybercriminals create convincing websites or email campaigns for non-existent charities. They prey on goodwill during the giving season, collecting credit card information or soliciting direct transfers.

How Employees Can Protect Themselves

1. Slow Down Before Clicking

Hover over links, examine sender details, and avoid clicking on unsolicited tracking or refund notices. When in doubt, visit the retailer’s website directly.

2. Use Multi-Factor Authentication

MFA significantly reduces the likelihood that stolen passwords can be used to access work accounts.

3. Shop Safely

Stick to reputable retailers. Avoid entering payment details on public Wi-Fi and use credit cards rather than debit cards for greater fraud protection.

4. Avoid Password Reuse

A compromised shopping account shouldn’t open the door to company systems. Password managers help.

5. Verify Requests—Especially Financial Ones

If an email asks you to update direct deposit details, change vendor information, or send payments, verify using a trusted communication method (phone call, known email address).

How Companies Can Strengthen Holiday Cybersecurity

1. Send a Holiday Security Advisory to Employees

Provide a clear, concise list of scams to watch for, such as:

Fake shipping alerts
Fraudulent charity drives
CEO gift card requests
Bonus-related phishing emails

Clear communication reduces risk.

2. Reinforce Payment Verification Protocols

Require employees to confirm any changes to banking instructions by phone. Mandate dual approval for all wire transfers over a set amount.

3. Train Employees With Realistic Holiday-Themed Phishing Simulations

Simulated scams—shipping notices, holiday HR updates, charity requests—prepare employees for real threats they may encounter.

4. Strengthen Email and Account Security

Ensure your domain is protected with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication. Encourage employees to use MFA on all corporate accounts.

5. Prepare for Incidents

Have a clear response plan for reporting, containing, and investigating suspected fraud. Rapid action can sometimes stop fraudulent transfers or limit damage.

If You Suspect a Scam or Fraudulent Activity

Report it to IT or Security immediately
Freeze or dispute suspicious transactions with your bank
Change passwords and enable MFA on affected accounts
Report to federal agencies:
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3.gov)
- Federal Trade Commission (ReportFraud.ftc.gov)

Swift reporting helps prevent further damage.

The Bottom Line

The holiday season should be a time of celebration—not cyber headaches. But scammers know this is when guards are down and online activity is up. With a combination of employee awareness, organizational safeguards, and simple digital hygiene, companies can dramatically reduce the risk of falling victim to end-of-year scams.

Staying alert is the best gift you can give your business—and yourself—this season.

Sources

FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), 2024 Internet Crime Report
FBI Public Service Announcements on holiday scams and BEC
Federal Trade Commission guidance on gift card fraud and online shopping scams
KWQC-TV, “Tips to Avoid Online Scams This Holiday Season”
Axios, “Scammers Stole $16.6 Billion From Victims Last Year”
Nacha, “IC3 Finds Billions Lost to Business Email Compromise”
JPMorgan Chase, “Guide to Business Email Compromise”

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