Source: Avast
Tune in to Avast’s “The Twelve Days of Scam-mas” to learn how you can spot holiday threats during the scammiest season of all.
‘Tis the season… for scams
The holidays are a time for goodwill, warmth, and connection. Unfortunately, it’s also the perfect moment for scammers to strike. Between last-minute shopping, travel plans, and a flurry of digital distractions, it’s easy to overlook red flags. That’s exactly what scammers count on, whether they’re running slick fake shopping sites or sending urgent “package delivery” texts designed to trip you up when you’re busiest.
To help people stay ahead of these threats and protect their holiday cheer, Avast has launched “The Twelve Days of Scam-mas,” a new 12-episode YouTube series. Each short, one-minute animated episode is inspired by a real scam, told in festive rhyme, and starring a mischievous villain, Deceivus.
Cyber safety shouldn’t feel scary
The holiday season, full of emotion, generosity, and last-minute decisions, is the perfect environment for deception. From fake online shops to too-good-to-be-true giveaways, scammers rely on one thing: catching you off guard.
Avast scam experts saw this play out last holiday season, when:
The number of attacks from fake online shopping sites increased more than 70% compared to Q3 (+72.3%) during the Christmas period, with over 60,000 fake shop attacks blocked around Christmas 2024 across the country.
Hundreds of thousands of eager shoppers were spoofed by package delivery texts
At Avast, we believe cyber safety should be accessible, not intimidating. We know that not everyone is going to geek out about how to stay safe online by reading threat reports or technical breakdowns. We created “The Twelve Days of Scam-mas” to be friendly, fast, and fun, while still packing valuable lessons into every episode. We set out to make holiday scam safety something anyone can understand (and maybe even enjoy).
A countdown with a cyber twist
Think of “The Twelve Days of Scam-mas” as a holiday countdown that swaps carols for cyber smarts. Each one-minute video highlights a common scam that spikes during the holidays, from fake shopping deals to fraudulent charity appeals. No lectures. No jargon. Just short, colourful stories that show what’s happening, how it works, and how to avoid it.
Every good story needs a memorable character. Ours is Deceivus, a bad bot who tries to trick people into falling for different holiday scams each day. Deceivus represents how scammers exploit emotion, urgency, and trust — the same feelings that make the holidays magical, and sometimes, risky. One day, he’s behind a fake online store. Another, he’s pulling at heartstrings running a bogus charity scheme or promising to send you a new puppy for Christmas. Each scam Deceivus attempts is grounded in our proprietary threat intelligence and reflects the real scams our researchers are tracking right now.
“The Twelve Days of Scam-mas” premiered on December 1 and runs through December 12 on Avast’s YouTube channel, with new episodes dropping daily at 11am NZDT. Whether you’re helping your parents avoid fake delivery texts or teaching your kids to question sketchy giveaway links, “The Twelve Days of Scam-mas” is perfect for sharing in family group chats, community forums or as a quick “scam check” moment with friends and family.
Follow along to catch new episodes daily here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsmQTW-n3GdkNJoYap6PUVvYCATfAycLg
