For many of us, the holiday season is about warmth, joy, gifts and precious time with the people we love. But while the Christmas lights shine brighter, scammers are also more active than ever.

The phenomenon even has a name: holiday scam — festive-season fraud.
But why do they strike harder during Christmas?
Sure, scammers “work” for money too… but how can we spot the tricks they use to get it?

What is a holiday scam?

The term holiday scam includes all fraud methods that specifically exploit the emotional and financial characteristics of the festive season. Scammers know exactly that in December we:

• shop more online

• act fast and rush decisions

• feel tired and mentally overloaded

• ignore the small signs because of the holiday chaos

December is the perfect timing for scammers to harvest:

• More spending → more opportunities to steal your money

• More parcels arriving → more fake delivery messages

• More loneliness & stress → more online dating traps

• More ads & discounts → harder to focus on what’s real

• More “I need it NOW!” → less critical thinking

All this creates their favourite playground.

Why do scammers become more active at Christmas?

Read these carefully… they might save you.

1. Emotional vulnerability is stronger

Loneliness hits harder during the holidays.
That’s why romance scammers and AI chatbots are extremely active: they send sweet messages, constant attention and rapid love bombing — just enough for you to feel seen and cared for. And when our hearts crave affection, it takes less effort to gain our trust.

2. Financial pressure + hurry

We are all hunting for the best deal.
Scammers exploit this with fake shops, flash sales and messages like:
“Only today! 80% off! Don’t miss out!”
If it sounds too good to be true… it definitely is.

3. Parcel madness — and fake delivery texts

In December everyone expects parcels — and scammers know it:
“Your delivery is on hold. Pay £1/€1 to release your package.”
We click before we even think:
Did I actually order from that place?
Fake links → phishing sites → card theft.

📌 UK examples: Royal Mail / DPD
📌 US examples: USPS / UPS / FedEx

4. Fake charity campaigns

More giving = more emotional manipulation.
Scammers hide behind fake charity websites and emotional stories:

“It’s Christmas… don’t you care? This is the season of love…”

They guilt-trip you so you won’t question anything.

5. Advertising overload

Our inbox, social media and screens overflow with offers.
We visit shops we’ve never seen before.
They promise delivery by Christmas… so we click.

Common Holiday Scam Types

• Fake delivery notifications
  → Similar-looking websites to steal banking data

• Fake online shops & flash sales
  → Products never arrive, money disappears

• Holiday romance scams
  → “I can’t afford a gift for my sick parents… can you help?”
  → You send money. They disappear. End of story.

• “You won an iPhone!” scams
  → Just pay the “shipping fee” — and goodbye money

• Fake charity collections
  → Using real tragedies but fake links

• Phishing emails claiming banking updates
  → “We will freeze your account if you don’t verify your data now!”

How to recognise a holiday scam?

✔ Instant emotional attachment
✔ Grammar mistakes (though AI hides this well now!)
✔ Offers that scream: TOO GOOD
✔ Unrealistic delivery & limited stock pressure
✔ Fake courier links / unknown domains
✔ “Click NOW or lose it!” urgency
✔ Pay only upfront, weird payment platforms
✔ No company details, no VAT number, no address

How to protect yourself?

1. Enable two-factor authentication everywhere
2. During the holidays: pause before you click
3. Don’t click delivery links — go to the official website
4. Protect your kids’ photos — scammers steal them for fake profiles
5. Don’t trust overly kind strangers online

Your digital safety is the best gift you can give yourself.

Why should we talk about this openly?

Because Christmas is not only about joy — for many, it’s the time when they become most vulnerable.

Holiday scams affect EVERYONE: parents, teens, business owners, seniors, widows, newly divorced… no one is safe by default.

Knowledge is a real gift: It protects your money, your data, and your self-esteem.

If something already happened: report it.
That’s how we stop scammers — together.

➡️ How to report online fraud? (link)

Help protect others.
We’re counting on you.
Ada & Zoli – AlertInsight.ch