Every holiday season brings excitement, and unfortunately, a surge in SMS scams targeting unsuspecting consumers. These scam messages might be tiny, but their impact can be huge, ranging from financial loss to identity theft.  

According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, people reported $470 million in losses from text-based scams in 2024, a fivefold increase since 2020. Avast data shows that text-based fraud continues to rise, driven by automation and AI-generated messages that look increasingly authentic. 

Whether it’s Black Friday, Christmas, Hannukah, Diwali, or Lunar New Year, holidays are prime time for fraudsters, who prey on festive shopping, travel, and year-end urgency. Here’s what you need to know to stay safe. 

Why Are SMS Scams So Dangerous During Holidays? 

Scammers exploit the rush: Holiday shoppers expect texts about deliveries, discounts, and payments, making fake messages blend in easily. During the hectic season, texts are the perfect vehicle for scams for several reasons: 

• Messages seem legitimate: SMS threads might even appear alongside legitimate updates (like real courier notifications), leveraging trust and urgency.  
  
  
• Global, industrialized operations: Criminals use automation and AI to craft convincing, locally relevant scam texts at massive scale, hitting millions during holiday peaks.  
  
  
• Researchers from Avast analyzed hundreds of millions of SMS messages and found recurring lure patterns designed to exploit urgency during the holiday season.
  
  
• Your phone is a wallet: With mobile banking, shopping, and authentication codes on devices, a single scam text can put your finances at serious risk.  

The Top 10 Holiday SMS Scams 

Below, we’ll break down the top 10 holiday SMS scams, helping you spot the warning signs and stay a step ahead of fraudsters this festive season.  

1. Undelivered Package Scams
   
   Hook: “We couldn’t deliver your package! Pay $1.50 to reschedule.” 
   Holiday Risk: Exploits shoppers awaiting gifts and online orders; fake delivery notifications steal          payment info or install malware. 
   Avast Tip: Track packages only on the courier’s official app or website. Ignore payment requests from unexpected texts.  
2. Fake Account Alerts (Banks, Crypto, Email, Social)
   
   Hook: “Unusual login detected!” / “Your account is locked. Immediate action required.”
   Holiday Risk: Scammers impersonate financial services, hoping you’ll panic during busy holiday spending and enter credentials on fake sites. 
   Avast Tip: Never click SMS links to login pages. Use the official app or manually enter the website address.  
   
   
3. OTP (One-Time Password) or Code Theft
   
   Hook: “Reply with the 6-digit code to confirm your transaction.” 
   Holiday Risk: High transaction volume means scammers try to trick you into sharing real security codes. 
   Avast Tip: No legitimate company will ask you to share your OTP via SMS—never reply with your codes.  
   
   
4. Tax Refunds or Fines
   
   Hook: “You have a tax refund waiting—claim now.” / “Pay your holiday parking fine.” 
   Holiday Risk: Timed to year-end holidays and travel, scammers impersonate government agencies to steal payment info. 
   Avast Tip: Access government sites directly—never through SMS links. Treat urgent payment pressure as a red flag.  
   
   
5. Fake Refunds (Travel, Shopping, Events)
   
   Hook: “You are owed a refund for your flight—click here to claim.” 
   Holiday Risk: Leverages busy holiday travel and purchases; fake refund sites grab card details and identity info. 
   Avast Tip: Check your account or booking site directly—never via a texted link. 
   
   
6. Family or Friend Impersonation
   
   Hook: “Hi Mom/Dad, new number—emergency!” 
   Holiday Risk: Emotional urgency scams claim to be loved ones needing instant help. 
   Avast Tip: Verify by calling your contact’s known number before responding or sending money.  
   
   
7. Deals, Prizes & Surveys
   
   Hook: “You’ve won a gift card!” / “Holiday survey—win a phone!” 
   Holiday Risk: Festive offers lure you into giving personal info or subscribing to costly services.
   Avast Tip: Treat surprise prizes as scams unless you confirm with the official brand. Check your bill for unexpected charges.  
   
   
8. Jobs & Side Gigs (“Mystery Shopper”, “Brand Recruitment”)
   
   Hook: “Earn $200/day from home. No experience needed!” 
   Holiday Risk: Scammers promise easy jobs but pressure for payments or personal documents.
   Avast Tip: Avoid roles offered by unsolicited texts; verify positions on legitimate career pages.  
   
   
9. Crypto or Investment Bait
   
   Hook: “Hot crypto tip! Double your money in 7 days.” 
   Holiday Risk: Unsolicited tips move you to chat apps, targeting investment or crypto theft.
   Avast Tip: Ignore random investment offers; safe investments never start via SMS.  
   
   
10. Callback & Support Scams (Vishing)
    
    Hook: “There’s a problem with your bank account. Call us now.” 
    Holiday Risk: Scammers use convincing scripts to collect financial details or push for remote access. 
    Avast Tip: Never call back numbers from SMS; use official support lines from your card or company website.  

During the holidays, when phones buzz nonstop with delivery updates and festive deals, scammers take full advantage. Avast’s data shows a surge in mobile-first fraud powered by AI-written texts, cloned voices, and chatbots that make fakes feel frighteningly real. A message that seems like a shipping notice or gift confirmation can quickly snowball into a fake customer-service chat or call, wrapping a scam in holiday cheer. 

Red Flags in Scam Texts 

Scam messages are increasingly hard to spot, but there are a few red flags to keep in mind. 

• Urgent language such as "today," "final notice," "locked account". Scammers know time pressure triggers panic, making you act before thinking. Words like “final notice,” “act today,” or “your account is locked” are engineered to make you fear missing out, facing a penalty, or losing access. 
  
  
• Unexpected links (especially shortened URLs). A link – often shortened with services like bit.ly or tinyurl – may look harmless, but is one of criminals’ main entry points. 
  
  
• Requests for codes, PINs, or payments. No real business will ever ask you to share one-time passwords (OTPs), PINs, or full payment details via SMS. 
  
  
• Unusual spelling or brand names. Awkward phrasing, odd characters, deliberate misspellings, or lookalike letters are classic signs of scam SMS. 
  
  
• Pressure to switch channels (SMS to WhatsApp or Telegram). Moving the conversation off SMS to apps like WhatsApp or Telegram helps scammers evade detection, as these platforms are less regulated and harder to monitor. 

What to do if you spot a Holiday SMS Scam

• Don’t tap any links, reply, or call numbers in suspicious texts. 

• Forward spam texts to your provider's reporting number. Forward messages to 7726 (SPAM). This helps your wireless provider spot and block similar messages. 

• Change passwords, enable two-factor authentication if you shared info. 
• Contact your bank if payment information was entered. 

Stay informed, stay skeptical, and remember: Avast Scam Guardian can help protect you and identify suspicious texts 24/7. 

To read more about text message scams that plague consumers year-round, read the blog SMS threats: the many faces of a tiny text, which offers a comprehensive breakdown of common SMS fraud tactics.