The festive season consistently sees an increase in cyber incidents across South Africa. Reduced staffing, higher transaction volumes, increased online purchasing, and distracted employees create ideal conditions for cybercriminals.
For businesses, this period presents a measurable increase in phishing attempts, payment fraud, domain impersonation, and website exploitation. Understanding these risks – and addressing them proactively — can prevent costly disruption. Businesses that operate within larger digital ecosystems should also consider how third-party exposure increases seasonal risk.
Here’s how to identify common holiday scams and take proactive steps to stop them in their tracks.
Common Holiday Cyber Risks Facing Businesses
Cybercriminals craft their tactics around the heightened activity of the festive season. Knowing their strategies can help you stay vigilant:
- Phishing Emails and Texts
Phishing emails and text messages often disguise themselves as holiday promotions, shipping updates, or charity appeals. They use urgent language, claiming issues like “Your order is delayed” or offering deals that are “too good to miss.” Clicking on these links can lead to malicious websites designed to steal your personal information. Many of these campaigns rely on domain spoofing, where attackers impersonate trusted suppliers, logistics companies, or internal finance teams.
- Fake Online Stores
Scammers often create fake e-commerce websites that mimic popular retailers. These websites entice shoppers with deeply discounted prices on high-demand items, only to steal payment information or never deliver the purchased goods. Keep an eye out for unsecured website warnings and unusual characters or symbols in the URL and contact information. For SMEs, this risk extends beyond consumer purchases. Staff may access malicious retail sites on company devices, increasing exposure to malware and credential harvesting.
- Gift Card Scams
Cybercriminals may email or text you, pretending to be a friend or colleague in need, asking for gift cards as a favour. Once the gift card information is shared, it’s almost impossible to recover the money.
- Social Media Scams
Fraudulent advertisements, giveaways, and surveys on social platforms can trick users into divulging personal or financial details. Fake accounts can also impersonate brands, leading followers to scams.
Indicators of Seasonal Fraud Attempts
Spotting scams requires a blend of scepticism and attention to detail. Here’s what to look for:
- Suspicious Links and URLs
Before clicking on a link, hover over it to preview the URL. Legitimate sites have clear and recognizable addresses. Be cautious of URLs with strange spellings, extra characters, or unfamiliar domains.
- Poor Grammar and Spelling
AI-generated phishing emails increasingly contain no obvious spelling mistakes. Focus on context inconsistencies, unusual urgency, or unexpected payment requests rather than grammar alone.
- Unusual Requests
If an email or message asks you to act urgently, such as providing login credentials, making a payment, or purchasing gift cards, pause and verify its authenticity.
- Lack of Secure Connections
When shopping online, ensure the website uses HTTPS (indicated by a padlock symbol in the address bar). Avoid entering payment details on unsecured sites.
Practical Controls to Reduce Holiday Risk
Taking proactive measures can save you from becoming a victim of holiday cybercrime:
- Strengthen Your Cyber Hygiene
- Update Software Regularly: Keeping your devices, software, and apps updated ensures you have the latest security patches.
- Use Strong Passwords: Avoid using easily guessable passwords like “123456” or “password.” Consider using a password manager to create and store complex passwords.
- Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Add an extra layer of protection to your online accounts by enabling MFA wherever possible.
- Confirm your domain is protected against spoofing: Without proper DMARC enforcement, attackers can impersonate your business in supplier or client communications.
- Be Cautious with Emails and Links
- Verify the sender’s email address, especially if it claims to be from a reputable company.
- Never click on attachments or links from unknown or unverified sources.
- Only Shop from Trusted Websites
- Choose established and well-known retailers and avoid deals that seem significantly lower or too good to be true.
- When in doubt, research the seller and read reviews before making a purchase.
- Educate Your Team
- If you run a small business, ensure your employees are aware of holiday scams.
- Even a short pre-holiday awareness briefing can reduce invoice fraud and impersonation risk significantly.
What to Do If You’re Targeted
If you suspect you’ve encountered a scam, act quickly to minimize the damage:
- Avoid Further Interaction
Do not continue responding to or engaging with the scammer. Delete suspicious messages and block the sender.
- Secure Your Accounts
If you’ve clicked on a phishing link or entered your credentials, change your passwords immediately. Enable MFA on compromised accounts.
- Monitor Your Financial Transactions
Keep an eye on your bank and credit card statements regularly for unauthorized charges. If you notice any suspicious activity, report it to your financial institution promptly.
- Report the Scam
Report incidents to the South African Police Service (SAPS) and notify affected clients where applicable under POPIA requirements. You can also notify the relevant platform (e.g., social media or the e-commerce site) to help take down fraudulent content.
Strengthen External Visibility Before Year-End
Holiday risk often increases because forgotten subdomains, exposed services, and outdated configurations go unnoticed. Running an external visibility scan before reduced staffing periods can prevent avoidable incidents.
Similarly, confirming your DMARC enforcement level ensures your domain cannot be easily impersonated during high-transaction periods.
Stay Cyber-Savvy This Festive Season
Seasonal risk is predictable. Businesses that prepare for it reduce financial loss, operational disruption, and reputational harm.
Cybersecurity is not seasonal – but attackers adjust their tactics to moments of distraction. A short, structured review before peak periods can prevent disproportionate damage.
If you found these tips helpful, explore more ways to safeguard your business from cyber threats on our website, ARMD Digital.
