Bangalore, Dec 16: As India enters the festive season marked by celebrations, gifting, and a surge in online shopping, cybersecurity experts are urging consumers to stay cautious. While the holidays bring joy and excitement, they also provide cybercriminals with increased opportunities to exploit distracted and hurried shoppers. With digital payments, attractive discounts, and festive offers everywhere, many users unknowingly lower their guard—making themselves vulnerable to fraud.

Uma Pendyala, Head – Business Operations at SecurEyes, a cybersecurity consulting, product, and training company, noted that the festive period has increasingly become a peak season for cybercrime. “Attackers capitalise on emotional buying, time pressure, and enticing payment offers,” she said. “In 2025 alone, Karnataka reported cyber fraud losses exceeding ₹2,000 crore, highlighting the growing scale and sophistication of these threats.”

The Anatomy of Festive Scams

During festivals, scammers design their traps to look polished and trustworthy—complete with festive visuals, familiar brand logos, and urgency-driven messaging such as “limited-time offers” or “today only.” These tactics push consumers to act quickly, often without proper verification.

Common Festive Scams to Watch Out For

Phishing Links & Fake Vouchers
Fraudulent messages via SMS, WhatsApp, or email promise “Christmas Gift Cards” or “New Year Mega Offers.” Clicking these links can lead to fake websites that steal personal data, banking details, or UPI credentials.

Fraudulent Shopping Portals
Scammers create fake e-commerce sites that closely resemble legitimate platforms, often with minor spelling errors in the URL. They attract victims with heavy discounts on high-value items. Once payment is made, the site vanishes—or delivers counterfeit products.

Impersonation Scams
Fraudsters pose as bank officials, delivery agents, or customer support executives, claiming issues with accounts or shipments. By creating urgency, they trick victims into sharing OTPs or card details.

QR Code Traps
Victims receive QR codes promising cashback or gifts. In reality, scanning a QR code initiates a payment—it does not receive money—leading to instant and unauthorised deductions.

The Core Issue: Lowered Vigilance

Most festive scams succeed because people let their guard down amid celebrations. Excitement and urgency often override rational judgement, causing individuals to overlook basic digital safety practices.

Essential Steps for a Cyber-Safe Celebration

Cybersecurity is as much about habits as it is about technology. Strong digital hygiene, awareness, and timely checks can significantly reduce risk.

Five Simple Rules for Festive Online Safety:

1. Stop and Think: Offers that seem too good to be true usually are.

2. Verify the Source: Avoid clicking links from unknown messages; access offers through official apps or verified websites.

3. Check Website Security: Ensure the URL starts with https://, look for the padlock icon, and watch for spelling errors.

4. Protect Your OTP & PIN: No legitimate organisation will ever ask for your OTP, card PIN, or UPI PIN.

5. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Add an extra layer of protection to banking, shopping, and social media accounts.

“Vigilance is our strongest shield,” Ms. Pendyala concluded. “By adopting simple security habits, we can ensure the festive season remains a time of joy—free from financial stress and digital fraud.”