The holiday season is a prime time for email scammers to strike. Learn how to identify and protect yourself from fraudulent emails that could ruin your festive spirit.

Common Holiday Email Scams You Should Know About

During the holiday season, scammers often ramp up their efforts to trick unsuspecting individuals. Here are a few examples of the types of scams to watch out for.

Fake Shipping Notifications

Fake shipping notification phishing emails often use urgent language and threats of missed deliveries to trick recipients into clicking on malicious links or providing sensitive information. These emails typically impersonate well-known carriers like UPS, FedEx, or Amazon, or even smaller logistics companies.

Here is an example of how these phishing emails might appear:

Also notice the use of the 24 hour deadline to create a false sense of urgency.

Fraudulent Charity Requests

Phishing emails pretending to be charity donation requests are another common type of scam. These emails often use emotional appeals, urgent language, and trusted charity names to manipulate recipients into giving money, sharing personal information, or downloading malicious attachments.

Here is an example of a fake charity donation request phishing email:

Malicious E-cards

Another prevalent scam involves e-cards or holiday greetings that contain malicious links. Always be wary of unsolicited holiday greetings, especially if they come from unknown senders.

AI has made phishing detection more difficult

With the widespread increase of AI to craft more sophisticated phishing emails, many of these scams can be very convincing at mimicking legitimate companies.

How to Identify Phishing Emails That Appear Legitimate

Phishing emails are designed to look like they come from reputable sources, making them harder to identify. However, there are several telltale signs. Check the sender's email address for slight misspellings or variations from the official domain. Legitimate companies will rarely use a generic email service like Gmail or Yahoo.

Look for a sense of urgency in the email's content. Scammers often create a false sense of urgency to trick you into taking immediate action, such as clicking a link or providing personal information. Legitimate companies typically give you ample time to respond to requests.

Red Flags to Watch for in Holiday Promotional Emails

Holiday promotional emails can be enticing, but they are also a favorite tool for scammers. Be cautious of emails that promise too-good-to-be-true deals or discounts. These often lead to fake websites designed to steal your credit card information.

Pay attention to the email's grammar and spelling. Many scam emails contain errors that a legitimate company would not overlook, however don’t count on a phishing email to have spelling and grammar mistakes. Malicious actors are now using AI tools to craft well-written phishing emails that can bypass many email security measures. Additionally, be wary of emails that lack personalized greetings and instead use generic terms like 'Dear Customer.'

Steps to Take If You Suspect an Email Scam

If you suspect an email is a scam, do not click any links or download any attachments. Instead, verify the email's legitimacy by contacting the company directly through their official website or customer service number.

Report the suspicious email to your email provider. Most providers have options to mark emails as phishing or spam (such as the Bayesian Classification feature found in MDaemon and SecurityGateway). This helps improve their filtering systems and protect other users.

Additionally, you can report the scam to organizations such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or your country's equivalent.

Tips for Safeguarding Your Personal Information During the Holidays

To protect your personal information, always use strong, unique passwords for your online accounts.

For MDaemon users, administrators can enforce the use of app passwords, which require users to use a separate, strong password for each of their email clients.

Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever possible for an extra layer of security.

Also, consider using a password manager to keep track of passwords securely.

Be cautious about sharing personal information online. Scammers often use social media to gather details about you that can be used in phishing attempts. Regularly review your privacy settings and limit the amount of personal information you share publicly.

Be extra vigilant against phishing scams this holiday season

The hectic nature of the holidays can often lead people to make careless mistakes. When it comes to email-borne threats, knowing how to spot phishing and social engineering emails can save you from falling victim to cybercriminals.