November 03, 2025
Last December, a midsize company's accounts payable clerk received an urgent text appearing to be from her "CEO": Purchase $3,000 worth of Apple gift cards for clients, scratch off the codes, and email them immediately. Though suspicious, the message bore the boss's name and arrived during hectic holiday season. By the time she verified, the scammer had already cashed out, leaving the business absorbing the loss.
This scam stings, but some are far worse. That same month, Orion S.A., a chemical company in Luxembourg, suffered a severe attack when an employee got convincing emails requesting urgent wire transfers, seemingly from trusted partners. Believing them routine, the employee followed through, resulting in $60 million being wired directly to fraudsters — over half the company's annual profits wiped out via deceitful transfers.
Think your small business is safe? Think twice. Gift-card scams alone drained over $217 million from businesses in 2023, and 73% of all cyber incidents in 2024 were business email compromise attacks. The holidays amplify risks as teams get distracted amid hectic workflows and increased transactions.
Top 5 Holiday Scams Every Employee Must Recognize (To Prevent Costly Losses)
1. "Urgent Gift Card Request from Your Boss" (The $3,000 Text Scam)
- The Scam: Fraudsters impersonate company leaders, pressuring staff into buying gift cards for "clients" or "employee appreciation." In Q1 2024, 37.9% of business email compromise cases involved gift-card schemes.
- How to Stop It: Enforce a strict policy requiring two separate approvals for gift card purchases. Train your team that executives never request gift cards through texts.
2. Invoice and Payment Diversions (The Major Money Grab)
- The Scam: Cybercriminals send "updated banking info" or hijack vendor email threads right before payments are due. For example, in June 2024, the Town of Arlington, MA lost nearly $500,000 this way.
- How to Stop It: Always verify banking changes via a phone call to a previously confirmed number. Implement a "phone call rule" for transactions above $5,000.
3. Fake Shipping & Delivery Alerts
- The Scam: Phishing emails or texts pretending to be UPS, FedEx, or USPS that urge recipients to "reschedule delivery" via malicious links.
- How to Stop It: Train employees to navigate directly to official carrier websites or use bookmarks, avoiding clickable links in suspicious communications.
4. Harmful "Holiday Party" Attachments
- The Scam: Emails with attachments like "Holiday_Schedule.pdf" or "Party_List.xls" that secretly deploy malware when opened.
- How to Stop It: Disable macros, scan all attachments carefully, and encourage verification of unexpected files before opening.
5. Fraudulent Holiday Fundraisers
- The Scam: Fake charity websites or counterfeit "company match" donation campaigns designed to steal money or personal data.
- How to Stop It: Circulate an approved list of charities and require all donations be made through verified official platforms.
Understanding Why These Scams Succeed (And How to Protect Your Business)
Many of the tools that boost business efficiency — email, digital payments, online banking — are precisely what scammers leverage. These attacks are no longer careless scams but highly targeted operations combining social engineering with in-depth knowledge of your company.
Companies running frequent phishing training see a 60% risk reduction, yet most small businesses neglect employee training. While multifactor authentication blocks 99% of unauthorized access, many still rely solely on passwords.
Essential Holiday Cybersecurity Checklist
Prepare your team before the holiday rush with these steps:
- Two-Person Verification: Require verbal confirmation for any transaction exceeding your set financial threshold, using a separate communication channel.
- Gift Card Policy: Clearly document a ban on ordering gift cards via email or text.
- Vendor Confirmation: Always validate payment or bank account changes by calling vendor contact numbers already on file.
- Multifactor Authentication: Activate MFA on all company emails, banking portals, and cloud services.
- Holiday Awareness Training: Brief your staff on these top five scams using real-world examples to boost vigilance.
The True Toll: Beyond Financial Loss
Though Orion's $60 million loss made headlines, smaller businesses often suffer more hidden damages:
- Disrupted operations during peak seasonal demand
- Dropped productivity as employees scramble to repair breaches
- Damaged client trust if sensitive data is compromised
- Increased insurance premiums post-incident
The average loss from business email compromise is $129,000 — enough to jeopardize many small enterprises during critical times.
Keep Your Holiday Season Secure and Stress-Free
The holidays should focus on growth and celebration, not battling wire fraud aftermaths. A quick team briefing, clear policies, and layered security measures are key to keeping your accounts safe from cyber threats.
Remember: just one verification call could have saved Orion $60 million. With the right awareness and simple procedures, your business can steer clear of becoming another cautionary example.
Ready to secure your team before the New Year? Click here or call us at 760-770-5200 to schedule a Quick and Easy Call. We'll guide you through quick, effective steps to safeguard your business. Protect your holiday success — the best gift for your company is peace of mind.
