Hello friends,

The holiday season is a wonderful time filled with family, giving, and celebration—but unfortunately, it’s also a busy time for scammers. Every year, cybercriminals ramp up their activity in December because they know people are shopping more, traveling more, and feeling more generous.

This month’s issue highlights the most common holiday scams, plus simple steps to stay secure without losing the festive spirit.

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🎁 1. Holiday Shopping Scams Are Everywhere

Online shopping surges in December—which means fake stores and fraudulent ads do too.

Watch for:

• Deals that seem too good to be true (e.g., a $50 iPad, “70% off all gift cards”).

• Look-alike websites that copy real stores but have slightly different URLs.

• Ads on Facebook/Instagram for companies you’ve never heard of.

Stay Safe:

✔ Shop only on trusted websites you already know.
✔ Look for https:// and a lock icon in the address bar.
✔ Pay with credit cards—they offer fraud protection.
✔ Avoid entering card info on websites you reached through an ad.

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🎄 2. Package Delivery Scams Are Peaking

With so many deliveries, scammers send fake shipping texts pretending to be UPS, USPS, or FedEx.

How they work:

You receive a text saying:

“Your package is delayed—click here to reschedule.”
The link steals your info or installs malware.

Stay Safe:

✔ Never click delivery links in texts or emails.
✔ Track packages only through the official website you ordered from.
✔ If unsure, call the delivery service using their public number—not the one in the message.

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🕯️ 3. Charity and Donation Scams Increase Dramatically

Scammers take advantage of holiday generosity.

Watch for:

• High-pressure requests asking you to “donate now.”

• Fake charities using sound-alike names.

• Emails claiming to be from nonprofits but using personal Gmail/Yahoo addresses.

Stay Safe:

✔ Verify charities on CharityNavigator.org or Give.org.
✔ Donate directly through the organization’s official website.
✔ Never donate by gift card—no real charity asks for that.

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❄️ 4. Travel Scams Target Those Planning Holiday Trips

Fake vacation rentals, bogus airline deals, and impersonation calls are common.

Stay Safe:

✔ Book through reputable platforms (Airbnb, Expedia, the airline’s official site).
✔ Be cautious of rentals that require wire transfer or payment outside the platform.
✔ Hang up on unexpected calls claiming your reservation is canceled or needs “verification.”

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🧧 5. Gift Card Scams Are at Their Annual High

Scammers often impersonate family members, clergy, tech support, or even grandchildren (“Grandparent Scam”).

They say:
“Please buy gift cards and send me the numbers—it’s urgent!”

Golden Rule:

If anyone asks you to pay in gift cards, it’s a scam. Always.

Call the real person directly to verify before doing anything.

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🔔 6. Year-End Account & Subscription Scams

Scammers send emails saying:

• “Your antivirus is renewing for $499.”

• “Your account will be closed—call this number.”

These aim to scare you into calling, where the scammer attempts to take remote control of your computer.

Stay Safe:

✔ Do not call numbers from unexpected emails.
✔ Log into your real account directly to check status.
✔ If you feel pressured, stop the conversation immediately.

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⭐ Holiday Safety Tips

(Quick, memorable, and perfect for seniors)

• Stop and think before clicking anything.

• Call the company or person directly using a known number.

• Check the sender’s email—fake ones often look odd.

• Use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication where possible.

• Set a “Fraud Check” routine: glance at your bank/credit card transactions each week in December.

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❤️ A Warm Holiday Reminder

Scammers try to take advantage of stress, distraction, and holiday goodwill.
The best defense? Slow down, stay skeptical, and trust your instincts.

If something doesn’t feel right—
🎅 pause
🎁 verify
✨ then proceed

You deserve a safe, peaceful holiday season.

If you have any questions about security or privacy use our free service to get an answer. If you see a scam online or in the real world please post it here so we can tell others about it.