The holidays are supposed to be about family, gratitude, and maybe a little downtime before the New Year.
But for cybercriminals, it’s open season.
Last December, an accounts payable clerk at a midsize company got what looked like a text from her CEO:
“Buy $3,000 in Apple gift cards for clients, scratch the backs, and email me the codes.”
It felt a little odd — but the message came from her boss’s name, and it was peak holiday chaos.
By the time she double-checked, the money was gone.
That scam stung, but others have been devastating. The same month, Orion S.A., a Luxembourg-based manufacturer, lost $60 million after an employee fell for a fraudulent wire transfer request that looked completely legitimate.
If you think your Carmel or Indianapolis business is too small to be a target, think again.
Gift-card scams alone cost businesses over $217 million in 2023, and business email compromise (BEC) accounted for 73% of all cyber incidents last year.
Criminals know your team is stretched thin — juggling end-of-year reports, client billing, and holiday schedules. That’s when mistakes happen.
Let’s make sure your practice isn’t next.
5 Holiday Scams Your Employees Need to Know (Before They Cost You Thousands)
1️⃣ “Your Boss Needs Gift Cards” — The $3,000 Text Trap
The scam: Attackers impersonate executives or owners, asking staff to urgently buy gift cards for “clients” or “staff appreciation.”
Prevention: Put it in writing — no one authorizes gift cards by text or email. Require two approvals for any gift-card purchases.
2️⃣ Invoice & Payment Switch-Ups — The Big Money Play
The scam: Criminals send “updated banking details” or hijack vendor email threads right as year-end bills come due.
Prevention: Always confirm changes using a known phone number, not one in the email. For transactions over $5,000, use a “call to confirm” rule.
3️⃣ Fake Shipping & Delivery Notices
The scam: Phishing emails or texts pose as UPS, FedEx, or USPS with “reschedule delivery” links.
Prevention: Go straight to the carrier’s website by typing the address manually. Never click links in unexpected shipping messages.
4️⃣ Malicious “Holiday Party” Attachments
The scam: Emails with attachments like “Holiday_Schedule.pdf” or “Party_List.xls” that secretly install malware.
Prevention: Block macros, scan attachments, and train staff to verify before opening any unexpected file.
5️⃣ Bogus Holiday Fundraisers
The scam: Fake charity websites or “company match” campaigns steal money and data.
Prevention: Share an approved charity list and process all donations through verified portals.
Why These Attacks Work (and How to Stop Them)
The tools that make business run smoothly — email, online payments, cloud collaboration — are the same tools cybercriminals exploit.
These aren’t “Nigerian prince” scams anymore. They’re well-researched, targeted, and timed for distraction.
Here’s what works against them:
- Phishing simulations: Companies that run training reduce their risk by 60%.
- Multifactor authentication (MFA): Blocks 99% of unauthorized logins.
- Verification policies: A simple phone call can prevent catastrophic loss.
Yet most small practices still rely on passwords and goodwill alone.
Your Holiday Cybersecurity Checklist
Before the end-of-year rush, take one hour to put these protections in place:
✅ Two-person rule: Require verbal confirmation for large transactions.
✅ Gift-card policy: No gift cards approved by email or text.
✅ Vendor verification: Confirm banking changes only via phone numbers on file.
✅ MFA everywhere: Email, banking, cloud — no exceptions.
✅ Team huddle: Review these five scams together before the holidays hit.
The Real Cost Isn’t Just Money
Orion’s $60 million loss made headlines — but for smaller firms, the hidden costs hit even harder:
- Operations grind to a halt during your busiest season.
- Clients lose trust if data is exposed.
- Cyber insurance premiums spike.
- Productivity plummets while staff clean up the mess.
The average loss per business email compromise incident is now $129,000 — enough to sink a local firm at the worst possible time of year.
Keep Your Holidays Merry, Not Messy
You can’t stop cybercriminals from trying — but you can stop them from succeeding.
A 15-minute policy review, one short training, or a quick system check can protect everything you’ve built.
This season, give your business the best gift there is: peace of mind.
👉 Schedule your free holiday security assessment today, and we’ll help you verify your defenses before the year ends.
Let’s make sure your systems — and your holidays — stay safe, secure, and stress-free.
