Protect your data before holiday shopping scams strike

The holiday season is the happiest-and riskiest-time of year to be online. As millions of us gear up for Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, scammers do the same.

Every year, they target holiday shoppers with fake websites, “too-good-to-be-true” deals, and scam emails that look identical to legitimate retailers. But here’s the part most people miss: scammers don’t just rely on luck. They already have your personal data before you even click “add to cart.”

From leaked email addresses to exposed phone numbers and home addresses, your personal information is being bought and sold by data brokers, companies that collect and resell detailed profiles about you. Those profiles are exactly what scammers use to send realistic “order confirmations,” fake delivery alerts, and “urgent payment” texts during this holiday period and beyond.

Let’s unpack how this works and what you can do now to stay safe before the holiday chaos begins.

Why scammers love the holiday season

November through December is a goldmine for cybercriminals. According to the CISA, reports of online shopping scams spike during this time of year and vary in their approaches. The reason? We let our guard down when we’re rushed, distracted, or excited by a deal. Staying alert during the holiday season can help you avoid data exposure and financial losses. Here are some of the most common scams you should be aware of.

Phantom stores

The surge of promotions during the holiday season is the perfect time for “phantom stores” to thrive. It’s a fraudulent store that mimics the interface and products of a well-known brand. Once you purchase from such a website, you’ll never receive your order as the store doesn’t actually exist.

Real-world example: Fake IKEA websites appeared with URLs spelled “ikeaa-sale.com” and “ikea-blackfriday.shop”, mimicking the official ikea.com interface with copied product images, logos, and discount banners.

They lured shoppers with huge discounts and clearance offers to steal credit card data. Eventually, they were reported and taken down, but the damage has been done.

What to do? Always check the URL of the store you shop at and only click links from the store’s official website or social media.

Delivery scams

According to Incogni’s research, some of the most popular shopping apps like Temu are selling your location data to third parties. It’s no surprise that you might receive fake delivery texts.

Real-world example: Temu is a popular app for scammers to mimic. They can easily find your contact information and order details to text “Your order couldn’t be delivered.” Each text contains a phishing link that can install malware on your device or steal your personal information. That’s why Temu warns its users about the couriers they partner with.

What to do? Make sure the texts you receive come from a legit courier service and double-check it on the store’s website.

Fake order emails

Some scammers use sophisticated phishing tactics to lure victims. They engineer emails from well-known brands, use urgent tone, place malicious links, and urge you to click on your order status. In reality, there is no order status-they’re stealing your data.

Real-world example: Amazon is one of the biggest online retailers worldwide, and that makes the brand easy to mimic. Scammers send emails on behalf of Amazon to try to steal customers’ personal data because it’s highly likely that their victims have used Amazon, making it less suspicious. However, phishing emails have some tell-tale signs you can look out for.

What to do? Never click on any suspicious links and always check the sender’s contact information.

Unwanted data exposure

When you shop online, you should be aware of the data you share, including your contact information, shopping habits, credit card details, and more. All stores collect some type of data about you. However, some companies collect more than you think.

Real-world example: The infamous Target controversy back in 2012 revealed how big retailers use data analysis to predict your shopping behavior. The company collected shopping data and managed to produce a predictive model for soon-to-be mothers.

They sent out brochures with baby clothes, vouchers for baby formula, and more before the customers even knew they were pregnant. Thankfully, modern shopping looks a bit different. You can opt out of certain data collection and exercise your right to remove personal information from websites that collect it.

What to do? Check what data the stores collect about you and request the removal of any private information you don’t want them to have.

How scammers find you

Imagine you’re browsing for gifts online. Within minutes, your activity generates data points-device info, IP address, browsing habits that feed into online databases. At the same time, data brokers already have your full profile: age, income, address history, family members, and even shopping behavior. These profiles are sold to marketers and often leak into criminal databases.

That’s why scam calls, texts, and emails often feel so “real.” They use your name, the right retailer, even your city. They’re not guessing. They’ve bought your digital footprint.

The “holiday cleanup” your data needs

Most people clear their browser cookies or delete old emails to “stay private.” But that’s like locking your front door while leaving all your personal documents on the lawn.

If you want to stop scammers from targeting you this holiday season, you need to remove your personal data from the source, the data broker databases that feed these scams.

That’s where Incogni, CyberGuy’s recommended privacy tool, comes in.

While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.

A service like Incogni can help you remove all this personal information from the internet. It has a very clean interface and will scan 420+ websites for your information and remove it and keep it removed. Plus Incogni has received third-party assurance from Deloitte validating its entire data removal process.

The longer you wait, the more data brokers spread your personal information online. I recommend Incogni to help you remove that data automatically (and they make sure it stays removed) without any effort on your part.

Exclusive Black Friday Deal for CyberGuy Readers (60% off):  Incogni offers a 30-day money-back guarantee and then charges a special CyberGuy discount for all annual plans only through the links in this article for as low as $6.39/month for one person (billed annually) or $13.19/month for your family (up to 5 people) on their annual plan. This fully automated data removal service provides ongoing protection from 420+ data brokers, and if you choose the Unlimited plan, you can also request removals from specific sites where your personal information appears.

I recommend the family plan because it works out to only $2.64 per person per month (or $4.80 per person per month if you get the Family Unlimited plan) for powerful year-round privacy protection. It’s an excellent service, and well worth trying to see how much of your information is being exposed and how effectively it can be removed.

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Is your personal information exposed online?

Run a free scan to see if your personal info is compromised. Results arrive by email in about an hour.

Practical steps before you shop

To make sure your online shopping season stays stress-free and scam-free, here’s what CyberGuy recommends doing this week:

1) Run a privacy scan with a data removal service

Before the holiday rush, remove your exposed data from data brokers. You’ll reduce the number of scam calls, emails, and texts you get this season and protect your financial info before it’s too late.

2) Secure your email

Use strong, unique passwords for each online store or service. Consider a password manager to simplify this.

Next, see if your email has been exposed in past breaches. Our #1 pick, NordPass, includes a built-in breach scanner that checks whether your email address or passwords have appeared in known leaks. If you discover a match, immediately change any reused passwords and secure those accounts with new, unique credentials.

3) Check for fake stores

Before clicking a social media ad or email, hover over the link. Legit retailers use secure “https://” URLs and their exact brand name-no extra words or letters.

4) Avoid public Wi-Fi

Don’t shop or enter payment info over airport, café, or mall Wi-Fi. Scammers can easily intercept unencrypted traffic.

5) Use credit cards or PayPal – not debit cards

Credit cards have stronger fraud protection and make it easier to dispute unauthorized charges. Here is a list of our top secure credit cards to consider.

6) Enable two-factor authentication (2FA)

Turn on 2FA for your email, bank, and shopping accounts. Even if scammers get your password, they can’t log in without your second verification step.

7) Keep your software and apps updated

Cybercriminals often exploit outdated browsers or apps. Update your phone, computer, and shopping apps before the holiday rush to close those security holes.

8) Monitor your bank and credit statements

Check your accounts daily during the shopping season. The faster you spot a suspicious charge, the easier it is to reverse and protect your funds.

9) Use strong Antivirus protection

An effective antivirus software is a must-have. The best way to protect yourself from clicking on any malicious links on fake websites, in phishing emails, and text messages is to have antivirus protection like our #1 pick, TotalAV, installed and actively running on all your devices.  It’s best to help stop and alert you of any malware in your system and ultimately protect you from being hacked.  Click here to see our top picks for best Antivirus protection.

Related Links: 

• Stop foreign-owned apps from harvesting your personal data
• What exactly is a data breach and why should I care?
• Your health data is being sold without your consent

Kurt’s key takeaways

Black Friday through Cyber Monday is the peak time for data harvesting. Every purchase, coupon code, and sign-up adds to the profile that marketers and data brokers hold on you. That information can linger online for years, long after the sales end. The good news? It’s easier than ever to reclaim your privacy. By taking just a few minutes today, you can enjoy the holidays knowing your personal data is no longer on the open market.

How confident are you that your personal data isn’t already fueling a scam this holiday season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. 

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This article was created in partnership with Incogni

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