Holiday Scams: 10 Common Tricks to Watch Out for This Season
The holidays make everyone a little busier, a little more generous, and a little less careful, and scammers plan around that. Pew Research Center found that about one in three Americans have experienced an online shopping scam, and 85% say scams are a problem on shopping sites and apps. Its analysis of FTC data also counts more than 387,000 online shopping fraud reports in 2024.
Holiday scams follow your season: shopping carts, delivery updates, travel bookings, donation pages, and job boards. Fake offers, urgent messages, and people posing as someone you trust all work best when your calendar is full, because a hurried person checks fewer details. Scammers also count on holiday generosity.
This guide covers the common holiday scams to watch out for, with the red flags to spot and a safe move for each one. It also shows how to avoid holiday scams for the rest of the season.
Why Do Holiday Scams Increase During the Festive Season?
Holiday scams increase because people spend more, shop online more, and decide faster, which gives scammers more chances to look believable. Gifts, travel, and year-end giving all put money on the move at the same time, and scammers build their messages around those moments.
Most common holiday scams lean on four tactics:
- Limited-time offers that push you to buy before you can compare prices.
- Fake delivery alerts that match the packages you really are expecting.
- Emotional pressure, such as a family emergency or a cause that needs help today.
- Impersonation of trusted brands, banks, charities, and relatives.
One scam often travels through several channels, so a text can lead to an email and then a phone call. The table shows where each type usually appears.
- Quick Tip: A message that makes you feel rushed is a red flag all by itself. Pause before you click, reply, or call back.
10 Common Holiday Scams to Watch Out For
Each scam below lists its red flags and a safe move you can use right away.
1. Fake Holiday Shopping Deals
Fake shopping deals use fraudulent websites and social media ads to sell electronics, toys, luxury goods, and popular gifts at prices far below normal. The ads often use copied photos and countdown timers to make the offer feel real. The item either never arrives or turns out to be a cheap copy, and the seller keeps your payment details.
- Red flags: unusually low prices, stores you have never heard of, copied product photos, and payment by transfer, crypto, or payment app only.
- Safe move: check the seller independently by searching its name along with the word "reviews," and pay with a credit card, which gives you stronger buyer protection.
2. Fake Package Delivery Texts
These texts say a parcel is delayed, an address is incomplete, or a small redelivery fee is due. The message looks routine because most people expect a package this time of year. The link opens a fake payment page or a site that steals your information, which makes these some of the most common holiday phishing scams.
See how smishing scams disguise their links to spot them faster.
- Red flags: a notice for something you did not order, a strange link, and a payment request outside the official app.
- Safe move: check tracking in the retailer's or delivery company's official app or website. Sync.me's SMS protection can also flag suspicious texts like these before you tap.
3. Gift Card Scams
Gift card scams ask you to pay with gift cards for a fake prize, fee, purchase, or emergency. The scammer then asks for the card number and PIN, or a photo of the cards you bought. Gift cards work like cash, so once the numbers are shared, the money is usually gone within minutes. A real business or government agency will never ask you to settle a bill, fine, or fee with gift cards.
- Red flags: a gift card payment request, pressure to stay on the line, and a request to read out the numbers.
- Safe move: stop, hang up, and tell someone you trust what happened. If you already shared the numbers, contact the card issuer right away.
4. Fake Charity and Donation Appeals
Scammers copy real charities or invent new fundraisers during the season of giving. These appeals usually arrive with an urgent, emotional story, a touching photo, and pressure to donate right now. Some come through social media posts or phone calls from people who sound very sincere.
- Red flags: a vague description of the cause, pushy timing, and unusual payment methods such as gift cards or crypto.
- Safe move: research the charity on your own and donate through its official website.
5. Holiday Travel and Accommodation Scams
Travel scams include fake holiday rentals, discounted flights, hotels that do not exist, and fraudulent travel packages. The listing often looks polished, with real-looking photos and glowing reviews. Scammers ask for a deposit quickly, because many people book early to lock in holiday dates.
- Red flags: prices far below market rates, pressure to pay immediately, and requests to pay outside the booking platform.
- Safe move: verify the property, the booking provider, and the payment process before you pay. A quick call to the hotel, using the number on its official website, can confirm your booking.
6. Seasonal Job and Temporary Work Scams
Fake delivery, retail, warehouse, and remote-work offers target people who want extra holiday income. The listing often promises flexible hours and fast pay, and the recruiter may contact you by text or social media. The goal is to collect your money or your personal details before you notice anything odd.
- Red flags: upfront training fees, requests for sensitive information too early, and a check that asks you to buy equipment.
- Safe move: confirm the employer and the opening on the company's official website, and never deposit a check and send part of it back.
7. Fake Gift Exchanges and Prize Giveaways
This group includes fraudulent Secret Santa schemes, social media giveaways, and messages saying you won a holiday prize. Scammers ask for personal details, shipping fees, or for you to recruit other people. These offers spread fast because friends share them, which makes them look trustworthy.
- Red flags: a prize for a contest you never entered, a fee to claim it, and a chain of people you must invite.
- Safe move: skip any offer that asks you to pay for an unexpected prize, and report the post to the platform.
8. Bank Impersonation and Holiday Payment Alerts
Scammers text or call to say a card payment looks suspicious, an account is locked, or a transaction needs confirming. They want your password, a one-time code, or your banking details. These holiday phishing scams and holiday phone scams often follow the same script as typical smishing and vishing scams. Holiday spending makes the story believable, since a surprise charge seems plausible when you are buying many gifts.
- Red flags: an urgent alert you did not expect and any request for a one-time code.
- Safe move: check the transaction in your official banking app and call the bank on the number printed on your card.
9. Family Emergency and AI Voice-Cloning Scams
A caller pretends to be a relative who needs money fast for travel costs, an accident, or another emergency. AI voice cloning can make the voice sound like someone you know, which makes the call feel real. The caller sounds frightened and asks you to act within minutes.
- Red flags: a plea for secrecy, a rush to send money, and a request to pay by gift card or transfer.
- Safe move: hang up, call your relative on a number you already have, and check the story with another trusted person before sending anything.
Quick Tip: Pick a family code word today. Anyone who calls with an urgent money request needs to say it.
10. Fake Customer Support and Refund Calls
Scammers pose as retailers, payment services, or delivery companies to fix a fake order problem or offer a refund. They may ask you to install remote-access software, share a verification code, or hand over payment details. A genuine refund never requires access to your device. Knowing what happens when you answer a scam call shows why a short pause matters.
- Red flags: an unexpected order problem, a refund you never asked for, and a request to install an app.
- Safe move: contact support through the company's official app or website and ignore numbers in unexpected messages.
How to Avoid Holiday Scams Throughout the Season
A few simple habits cover most of the holiday scams to watch out for on this list. Follow these six steps all season:
- Shop at reputable retailers and verify unfamiliar sellers before you pay.
- Track parcels through official delivery apps and websites, and ignore links in unexpected texts.
- Research charities and travel providers before you send money.
- Verify unexpected calls about money, accounts, or family emergencies by calling back on a number you trust.
- Keep account security up to date and never share one-time codes with anyone.
- Use caller ID and spam protection to screen suspicious calls before you answer.
Sync.me's caller ID and spam protection show who is calling and flag known scam numbers before you answer, which helps with holiday phone scams all season. Learn how to answer spam calls safely when one gets through.
One Quick Check Can Protect Your Holiday Budget
Holiday scams copy the things you already do this time of year: shopping, traveling, giving, and calling family. That is how to avoid holiday scams in practice: verify on your own, resist the rush, pay with trusted methods, and be careful with unexpected calls and messages.
A short verification step can prevent a costly mistake during an otherwise busy season. Taking a minute to check a link, a seller, or a caller keeps your money and your holiday plans safe.
Want a safer holiday phone?
Download Sync.me free for iPhone or Android to identify unknown callers and flag scam numbers before you answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do holiday scams sometimes continue after the festive season ends?
Scammers keep using the same stolen data, active phone numbers, and fake stores long after December. Refund calls and January billing alerts keep the tricks going into the new year.
Can scammers use information from a legitimate holiday purchase to target me later?
Yes. If a store or app is breached, your name, number, and order details can be sold and used for convincing follow-up scams. A message that mentions a real purchase is not proof, so confirm it in the official app before you respond.
Are payment apps safe to use when buying gifts from people I do not know?
Payment apps work like sending cash, and payments are often hard to reverse. Pay strangers with a credit card or a marketplace's protected checkout, which gives you a way to dispute the charge.
Can scammers impersonate a real delivery driver or retailer using a genuine phone number?
Yes. Scammers can spoof a real company's number, so a familiar caller ID does not prove who is calling. Hang up and call the company using the number on its official website or app. A caller ID app like Sync.me adds context by flagging numbers that other people have reported.
How can I help family members verify urgent holiday requests without delaying a genuine emergency?
Agree on a family code word now and ask for it on any urgent money request. Then call the person back on their saved number, which takes under a minute. If you cannot reach them, check with another family member before sending money.
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