Christmas Scams in 2025
The holiday season brings increased consumer activity, festive promotions, and, unfortunately, a rise in Christmas scams. As a business owner, safeguarding your company and customers from holiday scams is vital to maintaining trust and avoiding financial loss. Cybercriminals are more active than ever during Christmas, targeting businesses with tactics designed to exploit the busy season.
ScamWatch, Australia’s official national scam-reporting and consumer-protection platform, reported that there was close to $100 million worth of reported losses in the 4th quarter of 2024. With over 50,000 reported scams during this period leading up to the holiday period, it is a clear indicator of the amount of effort that is going into Christmas scams.
In this article, we outline the top 10 signs of holiday scams you should watch for and provide actionable tips to protect your business. By staying vigilant and implementing strong cybersecurity measures, you can enjoy a secure and successful festive season.
Christmas Scam #1: Phishing Emails and Fake Invoices
What to Watch For:
Phishing emails disguised as invoices or official communications are a common holiday scam. These emails often create urgency, claiming overdue payments or offering exclusive deals. They contain malicious links or attachments that, once clicked, compromise sensitive data or install malware.
Scammers impersonate retailers such as:
- JB Hi-Fi
- Myer
- Kmart
- Big W
- Amazon Australia
- Bunnings
- Officeworks
These emails typically promise the user special Christmas offers, payment verifications, and shipment updates. The logos and branding are extremely convincing. However, the links lead to fake websites collecting login credentials or installing malware.
Actionable Tips:
- Train employees to spot suspicious emails by checking sender details and avoiding unverified links. Adept IT Solutions offers highly effective cybersecurity and awareness training to help combat this.
- Implement email filters to detect and quarantine phishing attempts.
- Hover over hyperlinks to verify the URL before clicking.
Christmas Scam #2: Fake Charity Solicitations
What to Watch For:
During Christmas, scammers exploit generosity by impersonating charities. They may contact businesses via email, phone, or social media, soliciting donations for non-existent causes. Their tactics include emotional appeals and urgent deadlines.
Fake charities pop up across:
- Facebook fundraisers
- Instagram donation stickers
- Email campaigns
- SMS appeals
- Fake websites impersonating legitimate causes
Actionable Tips:
- Verify charities using a reputable platform like the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).
- Ignore unsolicited messages
- Never donate via unusual payment methods
- Check whether the website has a genuine ABN and physical address
Pro Tip: Create a company policy for charitable donations to ensure all contributions are vetted.
Christmas Scam #3: Gift Card Fraud
No legitimate Australian business, government agency or support service will ever ask you to pay via:
- iTunes cards
- Apple/Google gift cards
- Steam cards
- Amazon gift cards
- Visa gift cards
Scammers prefer gift cards because they are untraceable, instant, and impossible to recover once the code is sent. During Christmas, scammers pretend to be:
- Australia Post
- ATO
- Online retailers
- Bosses or colleagues (“Can you buy gift cards for the team?”)
This is a huge issue during December when workplaces are busy, and staff are even more distracted.
Christmas Scam #4: Impersonation Scams
This scam relies on the chaos of online shopping. You may make 10–20 separate purchases between Black Friday and Christmas, so a random email saying “Your order is confirmed” doesn’t seem suspicious at first glance.
Scammers send fake receipts or invoices designed to cause panic:
“Your order for $1,249 has been charged to your card. View invoice here.”
Users click the link, trying to fix the mistake, and unknowingly enter login or payment details on a fraudulent page.
Advanced variations of scam messages in 2025:
- “Your gift order has been posted to the wrong address — update details here.”
- Fake refund messages claiming you are owed money
- Fake “failed payment attempts” urging users to re-enter card details
Christmas Scam #5: Fake Website and Social Media Ads
In previous years, scam ads were easy to spot, bad grammar, pixelated images, generic messaging. But in 2025, scammers are using AI to produce studio-quality holiday ads, fake influencer endorsements, and even deepfake videos promoting deals.
These ads often lead to ghost stores or malicious landing pages. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat are overloaded with paid scam ads during December because the cost of ad impressions rises, and scammers know consumers are rushing their purchases.
What to Watch For:
- Ads claiming “Last 24 Hours Only!” or “Christmas Mega Clearance – 90% Off”
- Ads that redirect to a domain you don’t recognise
- Stores with no business information beyond the ad itself
Scammers often create fake e-commerce sites and advertise too good to be true deals on social media. These fraudulent websites can steal customer data and damage your credibility if linked to your brand.
Actionable Tips:
- Verify sellers and inspect URLs before engaging in any transactions. Ensure all websites begin with “https://” for secure connections.
- Use web filtering software to block access to potentially harmful sites.
Pro Tip: Partner with cybersecurity providers, such as Adept IT Solutions, to monitor your website for vulnerabilities.
Christmas Scam #6: Subscription Renewal Scams
Scammers will often attempt to impersonate major subscription services and claim:
- Your membership is expiring
- Your payment has failed
- Your account will be suspended
These emails replicate legitimate branding perfectly. The goal is to get users to enter payment or login information on a fake portal.
Services frequently impersonated at Christmas:
- Netflix
- Apple
- Amazon
- Microsoft 365
- Norton, McAfee
- Spotify
This is especially effective because many people subscribe to holiday streaming or shopping services. Costs for streaming services in particular have continued to rise over the last few years, and as such, these impersonations have become much more believable.
Christmas Scam #7: Delivery and Shipping Scams
Holiday shopping means parcel volumes skyrocket, making delivery scams harder to spot. Scammers impersonate Australia Post, DHL, Toll, or couriers with texts like “Your package is on hold – pay $1.99 to release delivery.”
What to Watch For:
Fake delivery notifications or invoices claiming missed packages are a common holiday scam. These messages often include links that steal sensitive information.
Actionable Tips:
- Train staff to verify communication directly with delivery providers.
- Implement robust tracking systems for business shipments.
Pro Tip: Use trusted delivery services and provide customers with secure tracking methods.
Christmas Scam #8: Fake Holiday Job Offers
What to Watch For:
Seasonal hiring surges during Christmas, and scammers exploit this by posing as recruiters or employers. They collect personal data from job seekers under the guise of offering employment.
Actionable Tips:
- Use verified platforms for job postings and recruitment.
- Avoid sharing sensitive information with unverified recruiters.
Pro Tip: Create an internal recruitment team to ensure all hiring processes are secure.
Christmas Scam #9: Cybersecurity Breaches and Ransomware
What to Watch For:
The holiday season is a prime time for cyberattacks. Criminals exploit increased online activity and unprepared businesses, using ransomware to lock down systems and demand payment.
Actionable Tips:
- Secure your systems with up-to-date software and multi-factor authentication.
- Conduct regular audits to identify and address vulnerabilities.
Pro Tip: Work with cybersecurity experts to establish a comprehensive protection plan. Adept IT Solutions has over 20 years of experience providing protection from cyberattacks.
Christmas Scam #10: Fake Social Media Giveaways
What It Is: Fraudulent giveaways claim to offer expensive prizes (e.g., electronics or gift cards) in exchange for sharing personal information or paying “processing fees.”
How to Stay Safe:
- Stick to official giveaways from verified business accounts.
- Avoid participating in giveaways requiring payment or personal details.
- Verify the legitimacy of the page hosting the giveaway.
How Adept IT Solutions can Protect you from Christmas Scams Today
Holiday scams can be devastating for businesses, but staying informed and prepared is the first step towards prevention. Implementing robust cybersecurity measures, educating employees, and staying vigilant can protect your business from financial losses and reputational damage.
This holiday season, ensure your focus is on spreading cheer, and not recovering from Christmas scams. The team here at Adept IT Solutions can assist with all your cybersecurity needs. Prevention is far more ideal than recovery, but our expert IT support staff can assist with both where needed.
If you would like to chat about our extensive list of services that can assist with your business, please feel free to contact us today. You can do so at 1300 423 378 or email us at info@adept-it.com.au. We look forward to hearing from you!
