While most of us are gearing up for relaxing time spent with friends and family, unfortunately there is another faction prepping for something far less warmhearted. The inevitable holiday rush, including sales like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, combined with gift shopping, travel planning, charity donations, and more, creates the perfect storm of opportunity for scammers. People are in a rush, want to be kind to others, and are desperately distracted, all of which makes us easily exploitable.
When we’re in a rush shopping online, we click on links quickly and are more attuned than ever to trying to get the best deals. At the same time, criminals are using newer tools such as AI, deep fakes, and bulk domain registration to run more convincing holiday scams than ever before.
A recent poll in Canada found 86% of people believe they can spot a scam, however one in four say they’ve already been a victim. That sense of confidence can leave folks vulnerable when scammers go after them during the holidays.
Fake shopping sites and “too-good-to-be-true” deals
Fraudsters are able to make up professional-looking websites that imitate real retailers, with the right logos, realistic product photos, and even checkout pages. Then they advertise steep discounts, especially on popular gift items. Those who buy, the victims, either never receive the goods or their payment/credit card information is stolen.
Fake retail websites alone saw a dramatic spike in the lead-up to Black Friday and holiday sales in 2025.
Watch for:
- Misspelled or odd URLs (e.g., “amaz0n.com” instead of amazon.com)
- Domains using unusual extensions (like .shop, .store) or extra characters
- Prices far below market value
- Lack of real reviews
- No HTTPS or padlock icon in the browser window
Phishing emails and fake delivery notices
A very common holiday season scam involves scammers sending fake emails or texts pretending to be from shipping companies, most commonly couriers. Messages will claim your package couldn’t be delivered or there is an extra payment or processing needed. Do not click the link! If you do, it often leads to a bogus site that steals login credentials or installs malware.
In 2024 alone, consumers lost more than US$470 million to text-scam scams, mainly due to fake delivery or shipping notifications.
Social media and marketplace scams
Social media is a main source of holiday shopping activity. There are ads, buy/sell groups, and direct messages, quite often coming from scammers. Younger shoppers are most at risk for falling prey to fake ads, listings for popular items at deep discounts, or suspicious “special offers” on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
QR-code and malware
With the resurgence of QR codes, scammers are using them to direct people to fake payment portals or phishing sites. This makes QR scams one of the most major growing threats.
Ad-related malware, often called “malvertising,” surges during the holidays, and exploits people’s desire for coupon codes, flash sales, or last-minute deals. Sometimes just loading a compromised ad can trigger malware or prompt a fake update or download to start. More than half of those who encountered such ads during the holiday rush reported at least one instance of adware, leading to a significant portion to become victims.
Deepfakes, phishing, and impersonation scams powered by artificial intelligence (AI)
2025 has seen a sharp rise in scam sophistication, thanks largely to AI. Fraudsters now use AI-generated deep fakes and voice clones to impersonate trusted brands or even relatives asking for help, sometimes targeting shoppers, travel-loyalty accounts, or customer-service lines.
Fake online ads featuring AI-generated celebrity endorsements, counterfeit websites using real brand images, and cloned retailer storefronts create a highly believable, and dangerous, scam environment this holiday season.
Protection tips for holiday shopping
- Slow down and don’t let urgency or holiday rush push you into clicking suspicious links or buying impulsively
- Always type the website address manually, or use a search engine to find the retailer
- Research into the seller’s reviews
- Never pay via unconventional or unprotected payment methods
- Avoid scanning QR codes from random flyers or posters
- Keep antivirus and anti-malware software up to date
- Always be skeptical of deals that feel too good to be true
- Do not click links from unsolicited emails or ads
- Go directly to a retailer’s official website to verify promotions
- Use strong, unique passwords and enable multifactor authentication
- Use credit cards, which are often better fraud protection
- Check for security indicators like HTTPS and padlock icons before entering payment information
Have you been a victim of a scam?
If you’ve been scammed, the most important thing to understand is that it is not your fault. Many victims feel embarrassed, blame themselves, or try to quietly move past the experience. Unfortunately, keeping it to yourself can make the emotional impact worse. Remember: you are not responsible for someone else’s dishonesty or criminal behaviour. Reach out for support, acknowledge the emotional toll, and make self-care a priority.
If the scam has put your banking or personal information at risk, contact your bank and any other financial institutions immediately to freeze or close affected accounts. Next, file a report with your local police service’s district office. You’ll also need to stay alert for signs of identity theft. Place a fraud alert on your credit file through Equifax Canada or TransUnion Canada, and submit a report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Consider purchasing cyber insurance
Cyber insurance has become a common — and highly recommended — addition to many home insurance policies. If you’re not sure whether you already have coverage, contact your insurance provider to verify or add it to your policy.
Cyber insurance is designed to protect you against losses or liabilities arising from:
- Privacy breaches (both first-party and third-party)
- Computer hacking
- Identity theft
- Phishing scams
- Internet extortion
- Cybersecurity breaches
Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks
With cyber insurance in place, you and your family are better protected from the financial fallout associated with hacking attempts, malware, and other forms of cybercrime.
Why brokers are better
Insurance brokers such as those of us at Lane’s work for you, not the insurance companies. We have access to a number of different policies from well-known providers and are able to do the shopping for you, cross-comparing products to find the best coverage and rates available for your particular needs. We enjoy educating our customers, answering questions and thoroughly explaining coverages, so you know you have the best protection for you and your family. Contact us at our Calgary, Edmonton, Banff, and Alberta offices today to talk about your options.
