The holidays are a time for cheerful messages, festive invites, travel confirmations, end-of-year sales, donation drives, and a whole lot of email. Unfortunately, cybercriminals know this too. In fact, the holiday season is one of the busiest times of the year for phishing scams, malware attacks, fake invoices, and fraudulent emails disguised as trusted companies.
When businesses slow down and employees are juggling holiday schedules, it becomes much easier for one well-crafted email to slip through and cause damage. A single click on a malicious link can compromise accounts, infect networks, leak sensitive data, or give cybercriminals remote access to systems.
This is where awareness matters. A few simple habits can go a long way toward protecting your business during one of the most vulnerable times of the year.
So, as we deck the halls and wrap the year, let's look at how to keep your inbox merry and malware-free.
Why Holiday Email Scams Increase
Cybercriminals are strategic. They know that during the holidays:
- Employees are spending less time analyzing messages closely.
- Many businesses run with limited staff or rotating schedules.
- People expect an increase in emails: deliveries, event invites, receipts, etc.
- There is heavy travel and more remote work happening.
- Financial transactions spike due to gifting, bonuses, and end-of-year purchases.
All of this creates the perfect environment for phishing campaigns that look legitimate and catch users off guard.
Common Holiday-Themed Email Scams to Watch For
- Fake Shipping and Package Tracking: "Your package is delayed—click here to reschedule." These emails mimic UPS, USPS, FedEx, or Amazon, but the links lead to credential-stealing sites.
- Fake Holiday Sales and Gift Card Offers: "Limited holiday discount!" or "Claim your $100 reward!" These emails often try to collect credit card or login information.
- Donation Scams: "Help families in need this holiday season." Scammers know the holidays bring generosity and they exploit that spirit.
- End-of-Year Payroll or HR Messages: "Update your tax information before December 31." These can be especially dangerous if spoofed to look like internal communications.
- Holiday E-Cards: A seemingly innocent greeting card link can hide malware or ransomware. The trick is simple: these emails do not look suspicious. They look helpful, urgent, or kind.
Holiday Email Safety Tips to Share With Your Team
- Think Before You Click: If an email triggers urgency like "Act now," "Your account will be suspended," "Immediate action required" then pause. Scammers rely on panic and reaction.
- Verify the Sender: Look closely at the email address. Small differences like support@amaz0n.com or payroll@yourcompany.co instead of .com are major red flags.
- Hover Before You Click Links: Hover your mouse over any link to preview the destination. If it looks unfamiliar, unusual, misspelled, or unrelated to the sender, do not click it.
- Never Download Unexpected Attachments: Unless you were expecting the file, and can confirm the sender, leave attachments untouched.
- Do Not Use Email Links to Log In: If the email says to log in to your bank, your business portal, your VoIP system, or your Microsoft account then do NOT click the link. Open a browser and type the website directly.
- Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Even if a password is stolen, MFA can prevent the attacker from getting in. It is one of the most effective, simplest defenses.
- Report Suspicious Emails: Make it easy for employees to report suspicious messages. The faster a questionable email is flagged, the faster IT can prevent damage.
Encourage a "Just Ask" Culture
One of the biggest cybersecurity risks is the fear of asking for help.
No one wants to feel like they clicked something they shouldn't have. No one wants to bother IT. No one wants to look inexperienced.
But cybercriminals hope employees stay quiet.
Create a culture where:
- Asking before clicking is encouraged.
- Reporting suspicious messages is rewarded.
- Mistakes are treated with support, not frustration.
A supportive approach strengthens your defenses more than any software patch ever could.
How TotalBC Helps Keep Your Business Safe
Holiday cybersecurity isn't just about employee awareness. It's also about having the right systems monitoring, filtering, and protecting your environment behind the scenes.
TotalBC provides:
- Managed email filtering and threat detection
- Cloud-based VoIP and communication security
- Secure remote access for traveling or hybrid employees
- Network monitoring to detect unusual behavior
- Cybersecurity training and phishing simulations
- Compliance support for sensitive data industries
- Physical security aligned with digital defense (CCTV + access control)
Our goal is simple: keep your business secure while keeping your operations running smoothly.
Wrap Up the Year With Peace of Mind
Your business works hard all year. You deserve a holiday season without security worries.
Let's make sure your systems, your inbox, and your team are prepared.
Schedule a Holiday Cyber Safety Check with TotalBC
We'll review your email security, remote access safeguards, and awareness policies so you can step into 2026 protected and confident.
Contact TotalBC today by calling 866-673-8682 or visit www.totalbc.com to learn more.
Stay joyful. Stay secure. And may your holiday inbox be merry and malware-free.
