Year-End Shopping Season Brings Wave of Online Scams: False Prizes, Discounts, and Investment Promises

As year-end shopping season approaches, online scams are increasing significantly. Police and Meta warn users about multiple fraud tactics including false product offers, fake lotteries, impersonation of legitimate companies, and fraudulent investment schemes. Meta reported removing over 159 million fraud-related ads globally in 2025 and deactivating more than 150,000 accounts linked to criminal networks.

Overview of the Problem

As the year-end shopping season approaches, particularly around Black Friday and Christmas sales, online scams increase significantly. Cybercriminals take advantage of heightened commercial activity to spread fraudulent advertisements, messages, and fake profiles.

Common Fraud Methods

1. Fake Product Offers and Non-existent Lotteries

Victims receive notifications about non-existent products with massive discounts or winning lottery entries. These are designed to extract personal and payment information.

2. Romance Scams

Criminals create fake profiles and build trust with victims over time before requesting money or personal information. This exploits romantic feelings developed through social media.

3. Fake Job Postings

Scammers advertise easy jobs with high pay, then request registration fees, bank account details, or other private information from job seekers.

4. Investment Fraud

Especially related to cryptocurrencies, these scams promise extraordinary returns. Fraudsters often use celebrity images without permission to appear legitimate.

5. Phishing and Identity Impersonation

Messages impersonate banks, retailers, digital platforms, and other well-known companies to extract passwords and financial data.

6. False Prizes and Sweepstakes

Victims are told they've won a prize, then asked to provide personal information or make payments to claim it.

Warning Signs to Identify Scams

Too good to be true offers: Extremely favorable conditions should raise suspicion
Unsolicited requests for personal information: Legitimate companies don't request financial data via messages
Artificial urgency: Watch for pressure tactics like "expires if not claimed immediately"
Profile verification issues: Check sender details and official websites directly
Email and source verification: Confirm that email addresses and profile information appear authentic

Prevention Tips

Be skeptical of unexpected prizes or offers
Never share personal or financial information with strangers
Verify through official channels whether messages and offers are genuinely from trusted companies
Report suspicious activity immediately without hesitation
Enable two-factor authentication on important accounts
Check sender email addresses carefully for slight misspellings

How to Report

If you suspect fraud on social media platforms, use the platform's built-in reporting tools. Major platforms like Meta continuously remove fraudulent content, deleting over 92% of fraud-related ads before users report them. You should also report incidents to local law enforcement. Document all communications related to the suspected scam for evidence.