The Online Shopping Rules I Never Break at Christmas

Why the Christmas Rush Is a Scammer's Favourite Time of Year

Every December I see the same pattern. Scam reports spike the moment the Christmas adverts start, because scammers know most of us are shopping faster than usual and paying less attention to the small details. A rushed shopper is exactly what they're counting on. If you're hunting for a bargain late at night after a long day, you're far more likely to skip the checks you'd normally make. That's not a criticism, it's just how tiredness and urgency work together against us. The scammers behind this know the calendar as well as any retailer does, which is exactly why the volume of fake ads and cloned stores spikes hardest in the two weeks either side of Black Friday and again right before Christmas itself.

The Payment Rule I Never Bend

I have one rule I never break when I'm buying anything online: I never pay by bank transfer to a private seller or a shop I don't recognise. A card payment or PayPal gives you a way to get your money back if something goes wrong. A bank transfer doesn't, and once it's gone, it's gone. If a seller only accepts a direct transfer, that's usually the moment I close the tab. I'd extend the same rule to anyone who only wants payment through a QR code at a market stall or a link sent over social media, since both routes skip the same buyer protections a proper card payment gives you.

Spotting a Fake Shop Before You Type Your Card Details

A fake shopping site can look identical to a real one these days, so I don't judge a site purely on how it looks. I check the web address for anything odd, look for a padlock next to the URL, and search the company name plus the word "reviews" in a separate tab rather than trusting the testimonials on their own homepage. It's the same instinct I use for spotting a phishing email, you're looking for the gap between what a business claims to be and what it actually is. A site that's only existed for a few weeks is another giveaway, checking when a domain was registered takes seconds, and a shop that popped up right before Christmas selling in-demand gifts at suspiciously low prices is worth a second look before you trust it with your card details.

The Delivery Text Scams That Ramp Up in December

December is peak season for a text or email claiming a parcel couldn't be delivered and asking for a small fee to release it. It plays on the fact that most of us genuinely are expecting several deliveries at once, which makes the message land as plausible rather than suspicious. I never tap the link in these messages, I go straight to the courier's own app or website and check my tracking there instead. A genuine delivery issue will always show up on the tracking page itself, it doesn't need a text message with a link to fix it.

Deals That Are Too Good to Be True

If a well known brand is suddenly selling something at 80% off with no explanation, I treat that as a red flag rather than a lucky find. Genuine sales happen, but they rarely wipe that much off the price with no catch. I also avoid finishing a purchase over public WiFi in a cafe or shopping centre unless I'm running NordVPN, since an open network is an easy place for someone to intercept what you're typing. I'd also be wary of a deal that only shows up through a social media ad you've never seen the brand run before, since cloned ad accounts impersonating well known retailers are a recurring trick this time of year, particularly on platforms with lighter ad verification.

Gift Cards Are a Scammer's Favourite Trick

Anyone who asks to be paid in gift cards is not a legitimate seller, full stop. It's become such a reliable red flag that I treat it as an instant end to the conversation rather than something worth questioning further. Gift cards work for scammers because the money moves instantly and can't be reversed once the codes are handed over, which is exactly the same appeal a bank transfer has for them. If a "seller," a "courier," or anyone else asks for payment this way, whatever story comes with it, the answer is no.

My Christmas Shopping Checklist

My actual Christmas shopping checklist is short. Pay by card or PayPal, check the website is who it says it is, use a strong unique password stored in NordPass rather than reusing an old one, and turn on two factor authentication anywhere that holds your payment details. None of this takes long once it's a habit, and it's a lot less stressful than sorting out a fraudulent transaction in January. My Safety Toolkit has the password manager and VPN I use myself, and if you're ever unsure about a site or a deal, get in touch and I'll take a look before you hand over your card details. None of these checks add more than a minute or two to an order, and that's a fair trade for not spending January on the phone to your bank.