Holiday Shopping Scams Guide for 2025

The holiday season is synonymous with joy, generosity, and the thrill of the hunt for the perfect gift. But the CyberFlow cybersecurity specialists know that as we approach the busiest shopping days of the year, from Black Friday to the last-minute December rush, there is another group eagerly awaiting your arrival: cybercriminals. To help you navigate this season safely, we have compiled a list of essential holiday cybersecurity tips to keep your data and your bank account secure.

Online Scams Are Increasingly Sophisticated and Hard to Detect

In 2025, the landscape of digital threats has evolved. Scammers are no longer just sending poorly spelt emails; they are exploiting the very habits that make modern shopping so convenient.

This year, the biggest vulnerability isn’t just weak passwords, but our shopping behaviour. The trend of “data for deals” has normalised a dangerous habit: trading personal information for discounts.

Nearly 9 out of 10 mobile consumers are willing to hand over email addresses or phone numbers to secure a savings code. Even more concerning, 66% of shoppers will download an unknown app just to get a coupon.

While everyone loves a bargain, this willingness to share data creates a massive opening for Black Friday scams. Scammers know that in the heat of the moment, with a countdown timer ticking, you are more likely to click “Agree” without reading the fine print.

Top 3 Scams Watching You This Winter

Before you start filling your digital cart, be aware of the three most prevalent traps predicted to surge this holiday season.

1. The Social Marketplace Minefield

Social media platforms have effectively become the new shopping malls. With 57% of users buying items through buy/sell groups or social marketplaces, the line between a friend’s post and a vendor’s ad is blurred.

Scammers are flooding these platforms with fake listings for high-demand items at “too good to be true” prices. These marketplace scams are particularly effective against younger shoppers (Gen Z and Millennials), who feel comfortable transacting on social apps. The danger here is simple: you pay for an item that never arrives, or worse, you hand over payment details to a criminal.

2. The “Delivery Exception” Trap

We all live by our tracking numbers in December. Scammers exploit this anxiety with postal tracking scams. You might receive an SMS or email looking exactly like a notification from DHL, UPS, or the postal service, claiming there is an issue with your delivery.

In 2025, these fake notifications are more sophisticated than ever, often leading to a phishing login page designed to steal your credentials. With 83% of people tracking packages directly from their phones, a quick, distracted tap is all it takes to compromise your device.

3. The Gift Card Data Harvest

Beware of the “free gift card” promise. A common scam circulating involves a bright, hyped message claiming you have qualified for a massive gift card (such as a EUR1,000 Amazon voucher) if you simply answer a few survey questions.

This is a data-harvesting trap. There is no gift card. Instead, you are led through a maze of forms collecting your name, address, phone number, and interests – data that is then sold to advertisers or used to craft highly targeted phishing attacks against you later.

Actionable Advice to Build Safe Online Shopping Tips

You don’t have to disconnect from the internet to stay safe. By tweaking your habits, you can drastically reduce your risk. Here are our top safe online shopping tips for 2025:

• Scepticism is Your Best Defence: If an ad on a social feed offers a luxury item at 90% off, it is likely a scam. Verify the seller’s legitimacy by visiting their official website directly rather than clicking the social link.
• Stop the “Data for Deals” Exchange: Be stingy with your personal info. If a site requires your phone number, home address, and date of birth just to give you a 10% discount, walk away.
• Use Dedicated Payment Methods: For online payment fraud prevention, avoid using debit cards directly. Credit cards offer better fraud protection. Even better, use digital wallets (like Apple Pay or Google Pay) or single-use virtual cards that keep your actual financial details hidden from the merchant.
• Scrutinise the URL: Malicious ads often direct you to “typosquatting” domains (for example, Amaz0n.com, instead of Amazon.com). Always double-check the address bar.
• Enable 2FA Everywhere: Turn on two-factor authentication for your email, banking, and shopping accounts. If a scammer manages to steal your password, this extra step can stop them in their tracks.

Stay Safe during Your Holiday Shopping with CyberFlow!

The holidays should be a time of relaxation and celebration, not stress over stolen identities or drained bank accounts. The tailored scams of 2025 rely on your distraction and your desire for a good deal. By slowing down, verifying sources, and refusing to trade your data for discounts, you can beat the scammers at their own game.

Don’t let hackers become the Grinch of your holiday season.

For complete peace of mind, you need a partner who watches your digital back 24/7. CyberFlow offers comprehensive protection against phishing, malware, and identity theft. We analyse threats in real-time so you can shop, click, and browse with confidence.

Contact us today and let us protect all your online activities, so you can enjoy a worry-free holiday!