With Halloween (the superior holiday) behind us, we’ve officially entered the “going home for the holidays” stretch, also known as tech support season. You show up for pie, and someone immediately hands you a phone that “won’t connect to the Wi-Fi.” If I had a dime for every printer I’d fixed over the years…
But this year, you come bearing wisdom. You, dear reader, can help your family protect their data (and their dignity) from the seasonal spike in scams.
Holiday hustle = Hacker heaven
Between travel, shopping, and mild cookie-induced chaos, most people aren’t thinking about cyber self-defense. Scammers are. This is prime time for:
Fake calls from “banks”
Gift card scams
Card skimmers at gas pumps
Phishy “delivery” or “order confirmation” texts
Let’s tighten up the tinsel and the security.
Mask everywhere
The best early gift you can give your family? A little privacy.
Start by teaching them to use virtual cards instead of their actual card numbers when shopping online — it’s quick and safe (we explained the how-to here).
In that same post, we also covered masked emails and phone numbers, which keep spam and scammers at bay. Most browsers or password managers can generate them automatically. Small change, big difference.
Stay alert, not afraid
Scammers thrive on distraction. So:
Never click a link or call a number from a text or email. Go directly to your bank or retailer’s official site instead.
Use tap-to-pay, Google Pay, or Apple Wallet instead of swiping a card — they can’t be skimmed.
If someone insists on using a swiped card, show them how to spot a skimmer and suggest they track transactions with a budgeting tool like YNAB.
Turn off Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and AirDrop when out and about. No one needs surprise data sharing at the mall.
Scammity scam scam
Holiday generosity makes us easier targets.
Fake charities spike this time of year. Stick with organizations you know and double-check URLs before donating.
Ransomware loves a good holiday lull. Make sure your backups (and your family’s) are current before the festivities, and be skeptical of surprise “party invitations” or invoices in your inbox.
If you saw it… no you didn’t
We know, your tree looks amazing. But hold off on posting every shiny moment online. Scammers scrape photos for location data and personal info, and holiday posting frenzies make that easier than ever.
Check your privacy settings, and follow our photo safety guide before you post.
Don’t forget work
The holidays aren’t just for family scams. Workplaces get hit too.
Between office parties and year-end chaos, attackers love sending fake “urgent” messages like “Your password expired” or “We need to reboot the server.” But not all scams sound technical. Some are sneakier, like when your “boss” texts asking you to buy gift cards for clients (spoiler: not your boss).
If a message seems off, whether it’s a surprise IT alert or a sudden gift-card errand, confirm it through your usual work channels before doing anything. A quick double-check beats a holiday headache.
Cybersecurity gifts (that don’t require wrapping)
Sure, it’s not as flashy as a game console, but privacy tools make excellent gifts. A subscription to DeleteMe, Proton, or Block Party, or a membership to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) all help make your loved ones’ online lives safer, and support a better digital world for everyone.
CybersecuriTea gifts
And hey, while you’re in a giving mood: give the gift of ongoing calm and clarity in the digital storm. Invite your people to sign up for a free subscription to CybersecuriTea.
And for those looking to boost their cyber education, CybersecuriTea has a Bookshop.org storefront. You get to expand your knowledge; we get a small commission. Win win!
A safer internet starts at the kitchen table, one shared link, one smart decision, one newsletter at a time. Thanks for helping us make cybersecurity feel a little more human (and a lot less intimidating).
Join us for tea!
CybersecuriTea is a free, plain-English guide to digital safety, designed for families, friends, and the folks you love. Subscribe today and get weekly tips to help keep your digital life secure.
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