A Criminal’s Carol

How Fraudsters Exploit the Holiday Season

Not All Festive Cheer Is Innocent

Most people associate the holidays with joy, family, and indulgence.
For criminals, however, it’s prime time.
With online shopping spiking and attention spans dropping, December offers the perfect cover for scams, phishing, and laundering.

Think of Home Alone. Kevin’s family flies to Paris, leaving their house completely exposed.
Opportunists strike the moment protection is down.

Businesses can’t rely on booby traps.
Instead, they count on compliance professionals working quietly to stop fraud before it starts.

What Christmas Movies Really Teach Us

Holiday films aren’t just feel-good entertainment—they’re cautionary tales.

• Home Alone: When no one’s watching, systems fall apart.

• Holiday Heist: High-value targets attract smart thieves.

• The Grinch: Trust is the first step to manipulation.

How Fraudsters Weaponize December

Scams You Should Expect

1. Distraction & Social Engineering Scams

Scammers thrive on chaos.
As parcel traffic grows, so do “failed delivery” text scams.
Meanwhile, “family emergency” messages seem more believable during travel season.
Because attention is divided, people respond without thinking.

2. Fake Charities & Romance Traps

Criminals know how to exploit emotion.
Fake charities flood inboxes just when generosity peaks.
At the same time, romance scams that started in October often escalate into financial manipulation by Christmas.
By then, the hook is set.

3. eCommerce & Gift Card Fraud

Urgency drives mistakes.
Fake websites offer last-chance deals, stealing payment details.
Additionally, criminals use gift cards to launder money quickly and discreetly.
Few people question gift card spending.

4. Corporate Invoice Redirection

Fewer staff and busy inboxes create weak points.
Fraudsters hijack email threads after seeing out-of-office replies.
They follow up with “urgent” invoice requests, knowing checks are limited.
Often, it works.

How Criminals Pull It Off

The Tactics Behind the Threats

Holiday downtime means weaker defenses.
That’s when these tactics shine:

• Smurfing – Breaking big transfers into small ones to avoid detection.

• Cash-Heavy Fronts – Market stalls and pop-ups used to clean dirty money.

• Money Mule Recruitment – Fake jobs trick people into moving funds.

Each method thrives when vigilance drops.

Warning Signs to Catch Early

Your Holiday Compliance Toolkit

Keep Systems Tight While Teams Relax

✅ Compliance Teams

• Enable holiday-specific transaction rules.

• Rotate leave schedules to keep senior oversight in place.

• Set alerts for keywords like “urgent,” “Christmas,” and “voucher.”

✅ Admin Teams

• Deliver quick refresher training by early December.

• Maintain escalation lines—even with lean staff.

• Flag any sudden shifts in behaviour or activity.

✅ Client-Facing Teams

• Share proactive scam warnings.

• Confirm all payment changes using a second method.

• Stay cautious—especially when requests sound rushed.

The Data Says It All

This isn’t just theory—it’s backed by numbers.
Between December and January, fraud reports increase by 20–40%.
Impersonation scams spike, especially from HMRC, delivery services, and fake charities.
“Quick holiday cash” scams also rise, targeting students and vulnerable individuals.

Clearly, criminals don’t hope for slip-ups.
They plan for them.

Wrap-Up: Stay Ready

Fraudsters don’t take time off.
They take advantage.

Just like Kevin set his traps before the chaos, your team should be preparing now.
Better monitoring, smarter training, and active client education can shut down fraud before it starts.

And yes, it’s June—because scammers are already thinking about December.

Compliance isn’t just for Christmas. It’s for life.