Cybercriminals Target Holiday Shoppers With Scams
As the 2025 holiday season approaches, cybersecurity experts warn that cybercriminals are ramping up scams and malware targeting online shoppers, mobile users, and social media accounts. The guide catalogs 12 common holiday scams—including social media fraud, malicious apps, travel scams, phishing, quishing, fake product deals, and HR spoofing—and cites McAfee data showing 86% of consumers receive an average of 11 suspicious shopping messages daily. It advises using official app stores, updating security software, and avoiding unsolicited links.
Key Points
- 1Lists 12 prevalent holiday scams including social-media, malicious apps, travel, phishing, quishing, and HR spoofing
- 2Highlights heightened attack volume and sophistication, noting AI-enhanced tactics and 86% consumers seeing suspicious messages
- 3Advises practical defenses: use official app stores, update security software, verify offers, and avoid unsolicited links
Scoring Rationale
Provides timely, actionable protections with vendor-backed metrics; limited novelty and reliance on a single industry report reduce its transformative impact.
Sources
Public references used for this report.
Practice interview problems based on real data
1,625 SQL & Python problems across 15 industry datasets — the exact type of data you work with.
Try 250 free problems
