With the holiday season rapidly approaching, now is the time when we’re all ready to wind down and take some hard-earned time off. But when it comes to festive season scammers, letting your guard down can lead to serious repercussions. With many holiday scams and phishing emails targeting users when they’re the least likely to spot a fake, it’s easier than you might think to get caught out. With more hackers than ever targeting small to medium-sized businesses in the run-up to Christmas, being prepared and informed is the best thing to do.
Here are some of the most common cyber scams, phishing emails, and potential viruses you should be looking out for this holiday season:
![lookout for holiday scams](https://ramseycs.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Holiday-Scam-Lookout-1600.jpg)
False online shopping deals
With more people online shopping than ever for Christmas gifts and festive items, scammers make a point to target consumers with fake deals to buy items for less. Often, you can spot these scams from the source email. If the email contact doesn’t line up with the store they are claiming to sell from, this can be an easy way to spot a scam. If it’s a store you haven’t signed up to before, this may also be a sign of a scam email. If in doubt, search the business directly and go to their website from a search engine to see whether their deal is legitimate or not.
Fake charity requests
The holiday season is also the season of giving, and it’s no surprise that donation and charity emails often do the rounds. Scammers target individuals and businesses, asking for small donations to capture account details or get money out of you. If you’d like to donate over the festive period, your best bet is to donate directly to a charity via their website or over the phone. Never donate through an email, especially if you’re unsure of its authenticity.
Fraudulent notifications of deliveries or shipments
A notification that a parcel has been delivered for you isn’t unusual over Christmas, and hackers take advantage of this. These fraudulent delivery emails will often contain links and phishing attachments with viruses, or they may capture the details of an employee or the company when the information is supplied on a form. If you aren’t expecting a parcel or delivery, it’s worth being cautious over providing any details – and phoning up the delivery company from their official phone number to check on the status of a supposed parcel, too.
Forged invoices and receipts
Forged invoices are a year-round issue for many financial departments in businesses. But when it comes to Christmas, spotting the fakes can be that much more difficult. With many invoices involving gifts, festive items, or non-typical items going through the invoicing process, spotting an invoice along those lines can be more of a challenge. In all cases, invoices should go through the same internal processes. Financial employees should check with the person who has apparently placed the invoice if they are unsure of its authenticity before making payment.
Holiday-themed phishing emails
Holiday greetings are always welcome, as are festive videos. But for scammers, phishing emails with attachment links are an excellent way to get to you when your guard is down. What you may have thought was a festive holiday card from a different department could easily be a scam email or virus. Double-check the source of emails, and quickly scan any writing to determine if it sounds like it has come from someone within the company. If in doubt, leave festive-looking links alone.
Staying vigilant and keeping your eyes open over the Christmas period is the best way to keep your business free from scammers – as well as having a robust antivirus solution and antispam filter in place. Keep these scams in mind, and your business will get through the holiday season easily in one piece.