This post was originally shared with GRIP subscribers on 16 December 2025 and is being shared here for broader seasonal threat awareness. As Gate 15’s Jennifer Lyn Walker wrote, “As the holiday shopping season is underway, we’d like to take this opportunity to share a reminder about being extra vigilant of those ‘too good to be true’ and other scams and spam attempting to hustle and bustle our better judgement. Shopping scams come in multiple forms. From suspicious sites, phishing emails, or malicious ads offering items at “inconceivable” discounts, to fake delivery notifications threatening you’ll miss that important holiday delivery. One of the top holiday shopping threats comes from scammers impersonating big name brands.”
- Like the Grinch who stole Christmas, cybercriminals long for this time of year, to steal money and information from those of good cheer.
- Holidays are a great time of year to remind less security-minded and threat aware family and friends – from our children to our elderly neighbors and everyone in between – about the scams and why miscreants target them all year long.
- According to Malwarebytes, holiday scams are a daily occurrence hitting 27% of people on social media and 15% on marketplaces each day.
- Mastercard reports that nearly half of consumers admit they are likely to ignore security warnings if the item is deeply discounted.
- To guard your good cheer from grinches, verify before you buy, shop from secure devices, keep an eye on your bank/credit card accounts, and remind older loved ones to be vigilant all year long.
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