Holiday Season, Holiday Scams

Year-end sales are just around the corner. The Black Friday, 12.12, Christmas deals, and Chinese New Year presales all make Singaporeans excited to hunt for great bargains and make the most of online shopping opportunities. In fact, did you know that Singaporeans are among the most connected shoppers in Asia?

Holiday season sales are great, but they also excite cybercriminals waiting to scan unsuspecting shoppers. Among all scam types in 2024, e-commerce scams reported the highest number of cases, with approximately 11,665 cases and a loss of about $17.5 million.

Instead of losing thousands to scammers, let's make this year-end shopping safer for you. Stick with this guide to learn about common holiday scams in Singapore, best cyber-safe shopping tips, and best practices to follow if you get scammed.

Common Holiday Scams In Singapore

Just like there are various deals in the holiday season, there are various ways for scammers to carry out holiday scams and trick shoppers. Some of the most common holiday scams in Singapore are as follows:

1.      Phishing Scams via Emails & SMS

Phishing is a scam where fraudsters send fake emails or text messages posing as legitimate companies. For example, the common scam is a fake SingPost or courier message asking you to pay "delivery fees".

Many Singaporeans become victims of this scam because they had ordered items online from different retailers and are expecting deliveries. So, scammers trick them into paying delivery fees to release their packages. The message usually contains malicious links or requests personal and payment information, which leads to financial loss or identity theft.

2.      Fake Online Shopping Websites

Fake shopping websites look like legitimate online stores and offer deals that seem "too good to be true", especially during Christmas and holiday sales. These fake websites lure shoppers with deep discounts on popular products. However, after payment, customers either receive counterfeit goods or nothing at all.

3.      Social Media Shopping Scams

Social media platforms (Facebook and Instagram) are popular places for sponsored ads. However, some of these ads lead to fraudulent sellers. These scammers create attractive advertisements that feature holiday deals to attract shoppers. Afterward, they either disappear after payment or send counterfeit or substandard products.

4.      Payment Redirection

During online purchases, scammers sometimes use QR code scams or send fake "PayNow or PayLah!" payment requests. These redirect payments to the fraudsters' accounts instead of the legitimate seller. Eventually, shoppers lose money without receiving their orders.

5.      Charity Donation Scams

Fake charities may also pop up during the holiday season and ask for "Christmas contributions" online. These impostors exploit the spirit of giving to trick donors. However, the collected funds never reach any real charitable causes.

Cyber-Safe Shopping Tips For Singaporeans

Singapore witnessed a devastating first half of 2025, with $456.4 million lost to scams. It is important than ever for Singaporeans to become proactive in protecting themselves when shopping online. So, we have listed below the useful cyber safe online shopping tips for Singaporeans for the upcoming holiday season:

1.      Buy Only from Trusted Platforms

Try to stick with reputable shopping platforms, such as Shopee, Lazada, Qoo10, Amazon.sg, or official brand stores. These platforms often have better seller verification and buyer protection systems in place, which reduce the risk of fraud and counterfeit goods.

2.      Verify Before Paying

Always double-check payment details before transferring funds, especially PayNow UEN numbers and QR codes. Scammers can use fake payment requests to redirect money to their accounts.

3.      Look for ".sg" and Secure Websites (HTTPS)

Ensure the website domain ends with ".sg" and uses HTTPS encryption for secure communication. Many scams arise from sites with slight spelling variations or foreign domains.

4.      Use Credit Cards or e-Wallets, Not Bank Transfers

Credit cards and e-wallet payments provide fraud protection and easier dispute resolution compared to direct bank transfers, which are harder to reverse. Therefore, opt for these methods to add a layer of security.

5.      Enable 2FA for Online Banking & E-Wallets

DBS, OCBC, UOB, GrabPay, and PayLah! support two-factor authentication (2FA). Therefore, enable 2FA on these services to add an extra layer of security and prevent unauthorized access even if unique passwords are compromised.

6.      Watch Out for Fake Delivery Updates

If you receive any messages claiming package issues, verify delivery statuses directly through official courier apps, such as SingPost, NinjaVan, or J&T Express. Scammers can fake tracking updates to trick recipients into paying bogus fees.

Protect Families & Elderly From Holiday Scams

Many scams target seniors or less tech-savvy shoppers. In fact, the statistics show that Singaporean young seniors (aged 50 to 64) and elderly (aged 65 and above) made up 20.7% and 8.4% of scam victims in 2024.

It's important to help protect vulnerable family members by sharing practical tips, including:

• Explain common scam tactics in simple terms to parents and elderly relatives.
• Remind them not to click on links or download attachments from unknown sources.
• Encourage verifying any suspicious messages with trusted family members or directly with their bank.
• Teach them to never share sensitive information, OTPs, or passwords over the phone or via message.
• Promote the use of official apps and websites for transactions and deliveries to avoid fraud.
• Suggest reporting suspicious activities to authorities or trusted contacts for support.

It demands ongoing effort to have your family members and the elderly stay safe from holiday shopping scams. Therefore, continue to educate them and reduce their risk of falling victim.

What To Do If You Are Scammed?

Despite being cautious, you can become a victim of a scam. At that critical moment, taking the right steps can help stop scammers from doing extensive damage and assist authorities in tracking them down.

Some of the crucial steps you should take include:

1. Call your bank immediately to freeze affected accounts and prevent further unauthorized transactions. The anti-scam hotlines of popular banks are:
1. DBS: 1800 339 6963
2. OCBC: 1800 363 3333
3. UOB: 6255 0160
4. Citibank: 6337 5519
2. Report to the Police via SPF e-services or 999 (if urgent).
3. Lodge a complaint with ScamShield / ScamAlert.sg. You can also call 1799 to get assistance from ScamShield anti-scam helpline service.
4. Change all compromised passwords immediately (if credentials are compromised) to secure your online accounts and prevent identity theft or further breaches.

Once you take these steps promptly, they can help reduce the impact of scams and improve the chances of recovering lost funds or catching the perpetrators.

Conclusion – Shop Smart, Stay Festive

The holidays are meant to be joyful, but they can turn into stressful events if you get scammed at the worst possible time. However, these tactics of cybercriminals are avoidable if you stay alert and keep your personal and payment information secure. Therefore, follow the above simple safety measures and enjoy the best of online shopping while avoiding scams.

At CARE, we help businesses and individuals strengthen their cyber hygiene. Contact us if you would like a cybersecurity check-up before the new year.

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