12/03/2025
Happy Tuesday everyone! Welcome back to another TIP TUESDAY here with us at Brydges Consulting. Now that we are in the holiday season, we know this is a huge time where everyone is more generous, and scammers are trying to leach off on that kindness. So let's take a look at few tricks to keep yourself and those around you safe from fraudsters this holiday season.
**ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TO INSIDE HALTON AND THE AUTHOR LORAINE CENTENO, THIS ARTICLE IS BEING SHARED FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES.**
Tis the season for holiday scams targeting Canadians. Here are the most common and some tips to protect yourself
By Loraine Centeno I Insidehaltoncom
Posted: Friday, November 28, 2025
Updated: Tuesday, December 2, 2025
Ontario cybersecurity experts reveal the top 5 online frauds to watch for and how to protect your accounts.
As Canadians gear up for the holiday shopping rush, cybercriminals are doing the same.
Scammers are now supercharging their schemes to exploit the season of gift-giving, say Ontario cybersecurity experts, who are reminding Canadians to be extra vigilant.
They point out some of the most common scams of the season, as well as some tips to protect yourself from them.
Most common holiday scams in Canada
Jennifer Quaid, executive director of the Canadian Anti-Scam Coalition and the Canadian Cyber Threat Exchange, told Metroland Media there are a few common scams in Canada during the holiday season that Canadians need to watch out for.
The missed delivery scam
The missed delivery fraud involves scammers telling targets through text or email that there was some issue with a package, or that a package they ordered needs confirmation.
In some cases, the scammer will tell a customer a fee needs to be paid, immediately. The recipient will then be asked to click on a link to address the issue. The link leads the target to a compromised site that may harvest credentials and banking information or infect the device with malicious software.
Most of these missed delivery scam messages now use GenAI to create polished text and perfect copies of legitimate sites.
Fake retailers and ‘too good to be true’ deals or giveaways
Scammers create hundreds of thousands of fake websites around the holidays to exploit the rush to get deals, according to researchers.
A new report by NordVPN found there was a 250-per cent increase in fake shopping websites created ahead of Black Friday. Researchers noted a 232-per cent increase in the number of fake Amazon websites and a staggering 525-per cent spike in fake eBay sites.
Around the holidays, scammers post ads on social media promising great deals with links to these bogus sites. In some cases, they use AI deepfakes of popular personalities to promote the deals.
After customers pay, they never receive their product and their sensitive information, like credit card details, end up in the hands of hackers.
Fake charities exploit the season of giving
Scammers also often exploit people’s inclination to share during the holidays with appeals for donations to non-existent charitable institutions. In other cases, scammers may impersonate legitimate institutions with fake sites and social media pages created using AI to get donations and collect people’s sensitive information.
They often tug at people’s heartstrings with emotional appeals, or use high pressure tactics to try to force individuals to donate right away.
Holiday romance scams
Cybercriminals often exploit people looking for companionship online, especially during the winter holidays.
“The holidays can be very lonely for many and scammers know it,” Quaid said.
Romance scams, also known as the sweetheart scams, often use stolen images of attractive individuals and a fake identity to reach out to people online. The scammer will try to gain the person’s trust through steady communication and fake promises.
The ruse has also now been supercharged by AI. In some cases, targets are wooed by chatbots trained on the person’s interests and romance novels so they are able to send romantic messages trained on the target’s preferences.
Bank impersonation scams
While bank impersonation scams, also known as phantom hacker scams, run rampant throughout the year, scammers like exploiting the fact that a lot of people are doing more online shopping using their credit cards this time of year, Quaid said.
The scheme involves fraudsters impersonating a bank or government agency representative, and calling the target to inform them about a “phantom hacker” compromising their credit cards or accounts.
Some reports say hackers are now using AI voice cloning to mimic the voice of a bank or government official or to make theirs sound more convincing.
The fraudsters will then talk the target into giving them access to their computer and their accounts. Some calls may last for hours and involve different “departments” but almost always end up with money getting drained from the victim’s accounts.
How to protect yourself from holiday scams
“Sadly, these are only a few examples of what’s out there,” Quaid said, adding it is important to stop and resist the urge to act immediately. Check by verifying the source of the information, and talking to others to spread the word about the scam attempt.
Cybersecurity expert Dave Lewis, global advisory chief information security officer at Toronto-based cybersecurity firm 1Password, told Metroland Media all scams have one thing in common — they try to push targets into paying quickly by creating a false sense of urgency causing them to click before they think, or inadvertently hand over account access.
He offers the following tips so Canadians can protect themselves from scams this holiday season.
Scrutinize unbelievable promotions
If the offer seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Make sure to look for telltale signs of phishing and spoof websites. This may involve closely analyzing the sender’s email address or phone number, hovering over hyperlinks to check if the URL is legitimate, or keeping an eye out for poor grammar.
Instead of automatically clicking on a link, you should always go directly to the retailer’s official website to verify the promotion.
Don’t let reused passwords be a gift to hackers
“Even if you’ve fallen for a scam, good password hygiene limits the damage,” Lewis said, adding that a single reused password can unlock multiple accounts for hackers.
You should use a unique password for every account and those juggling multiple accounts who find this challenging can consider using a password manager.
“It’s one of the simplest, most effective ways to protect yourself from waking up to a digital nightmare,” he said.
Don’t be fooled by package delivery scams
Be on the lookout for fake tracking messages via email or text from scammers who may try to trick you into providing personal, or financial information by impersonating UPS, USPS, FedEx, etc., Lewis warned.
Before clicking on any links in your “latest delivery update” or “missed delivery,” take the safer option, which is to type your tracking number directly into the browser or open the original purchase confirmation email.
Be skeptical when shopping on social media
“Social feeds are a prime hunting ground for scammers who use realistic ads, fake storefronts, and sponsored posts that mimic real brands and people,” he said.
Before buying or donating, verify the account, review comments for red flags, and visit the brand’s official site directly rather than purchasing through a link in a post, ad or direct message.
Never be ashamed to ask for a second opinion
“Scammers rely on embarrassment to keep victims quiet but spotting a scam isn’t always easy,” Lewis said. With the help of AI, scammers can send increasingly sophisticated messages at breakneck volume — even pros can get fooled, he explained.
If something doesn’t feel right, show it to a trusted co-worker, friend, or family member before acting on the request.
“A quick gut check can save you from a costly mistake.”
Verify the legitimacy of charities before donating
Before donating during the holidays or any time throughout the year, search for the charity directly, confirm its registration, and donate only through the official site. Websites such as Charity Navigator, Charity Watch, or Guidestar can also help you verify the legitimacy of most charities online.
Turn on bank and card transaction alerts and enable MFA
Use credit or virtual cards for holiday purchases, and enable alerts from your bank or card provider. This will notify you of charges to your accounts so you can call your bank right away if you see charges you don’t recognize.
Also, review your account statements every few days so you can spot and dispute fraud early.
Enabling multifactor authentication (MFA) for your accounts “makes hackers’ jobs substantially harder, while having only a small impact on you,” Lewis said.
https://www.insidehalton.com/news/top-holiday-scams-in-canada/article_15895fd9-a926-505d-af12-4f4268d82596.html
Even in Canada, scammers find a way to weasel their way into having individuals give them their hard earned money through fake non-for-profits or tricking you into giving them you hard earned money through relationship scams or bank impersonation scams. Read everything you see, research every non-for-profit, and if you get a call from your banking institution or credit card company - be sure to finish the call without giving them any information and call up the company from the number provided on their website.
If you would like to see other topics covered on Tip Tuesday or Fact Friday, put them down in the comments below or message us here on our page.
As always stay safe and fraud-free.
Ontario experts reveal the top 5 holiday scams to watch out for in Canada, from fake deals to bank impersonators, and how to protect your accounts.
