As Utahns gear up for gifts, travel and year-end donations, cybercriminals are gearing up too. Experts say the stretch from Halloween through New Year’s is now their busiest and most profitable season.
“It started in October,” said former FBI special agent and Spies, Lies and Cybercrime author Eric O’Neill. “This is their most important quarter of the year.”
We’re shopping more, clicking more, donating more and rushing more – and scammers know that means we’re far less likely to pause and think, “Wait… does this feel off?”
Here’s how to protect yourself while you’re trying to enjoy the holidays.
Why Scammers Love The Holidays
During the last few months of the year, we:
- Shop constantly online and in apps
- Travel, rebook flights and hotels, and track itineraries
- Donate to charities and year-end campaigns
- Answer more messages from delivery companies, stores and “support” channels
All of that creates the perfect cover for criminals to slip in fake messages and copycat websites that look almost exactly like the real thing.
A recent survey by security firm Norton found that nearly 1 in 3 people say they’ve been targeted by a holiday scam. And that’s just the people who recognized it.
“This is when cybercriminals swarm the internet in order to steal as much money as they can,” O’Neill warned.
Deepfakes And “Too Real” Messages
Scammers are no longer just sending sloppy emails with bad spelling. They’re using:
- AI-generated voices that sound like family members or company reps
- Deepfake videos that appear to show real people asking for money or “confirming” details
- Hyper-realistic texts and emails that copy brand logos and language perfectly
O’Neill’s advice is blunt: your best defense is to become a polite cynic. Assume it’s fake until you prove it’s real.
Treat these as suspicious by default:
- A text saying your package couldn’t be delivered and asking you to click a link
- A Facebook or Instagram charity fundraiser you’ve never heard of
- An “online outlet” selling a hot item for much cheaper than everywhere else
- Any message that pressures you to act right now or lose your chance
If it’s legitimate, you can always verify it another way.
A Simple Holiday Cyber-Safety Checklist
Use this quick checklist every time you’re about to click, buy or donate:
1. Slow down and verify
- Don’t click links in unexpected emails or texts.
- Go directly to the retailer or shipper’s website by typing the address yourself or using their official app.
- If a family member messages asking for urgent money, call them on a known number to check.
2. Check the sender and the URL
- Look carefully at the email address and website address.
- Watch for small misspellings or extra words (for example,
amaz0n.comorpaypal-support.co) instead of the real domain.
3. Use strong security basics
- Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) for email, banking, social media and shopping accounts.
- Keep your phone and computer updated so security patches are installed.
- Run reputable security software and browser protections from providers like Norton or other trusted vendors.
4. Pay in safer ways
- Use credit cards, not debit cards, when possible – they often have stronger fraud protections.
- Avoid direct bank transfers, gift cards, or crypto payments to people or stores you don’t know personally.
5. Check before you donate
- Look up the charity on Charity Navigator, the IRS nonprofit search tool, or the organization’s verified website.
- Be cautious of charity links sent only via social media DMs or group chats.
Talk About Scams With Your Family
One of the most powerful tools you have is open conversation.
- Warn older relatives and less tech-savvy family members about common holiday scams.
- Show them examples of fake texts and emails so they know what to look for.
- Make it normal to ask each other: “Does this look legit?” before anyone clicks or sends money.
“Cyber criminals have more access to us than they ever have in the past. We are more online, especially after the pandemic,” O’Neill said. If your family understands that, they’re less likely to feel embarrassed speaking up.
The Real Cost Of Cybercrime
According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Americans lost over $12.5 billion to cybercrime in 2023, a jump of about 22% in just one year. That number includes everything from online shopping scams to fake investment schemes and romance fraud.
Those losses are not just “big company” problems — they include everyday people who clicked on what looked like a harmless link or trusted an email that seemed urgent and official.
Bottom Line: Enjoy The Holidays, But Assume It’s Fake First
The goal isn’t to scare you out of shopping or donating. It’s to help you create a new habit:
- See a message
- Assume it’s fake
- Then slowly work backward to prove it’s real
If you build that reflex now, you’re much more likely to keep your money, your identity and your holidays intact — while scammers move on to easier targets.
