I wrote this for a security awareness program with help from ChatGPT. Feel free to grab and share within your own organizations.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has long been a trusted resource for protecting consumers and promoting trustworthy business practices. Their mission to provide valuable insights and tools to stay vigilant against fraud is especially critical during the holidays. This year, the BBB has compiled a list of the "12 Scams of Christmas" to help ensure your festive season remains joyful and scam-free.

Here’s a quick overview of these scams and how to protect yourself:

Fake Social Media Ads: Beware of deals that are too good to be true—they may lead to counterfeit or undelivered goods.
Gift Exchange Scams: Pyramid schemes disguised as “fun” gift exchanges often harvest personal information.
Holiday Apps: Some seemingly festive apps collect data or install malware on your device.
Fake Toll Texts: Scammers target holiday travelers with bogus unpaid toll notifications.
“Free” Gift Cards: Phishing emails offering gift cards often aim to steal sensitive data.
Seasonal Job Scams: Fake job listings trick job seekers into providing personal or financial details.
Impostor Scams: Fraudsters pose as customer service reps or mimic legitimate websites.
Fake Charities: Scammers take advantage of the season’s generosity with fraudulent donation appeals.
Phishing Shipping Notifications: Fake alerts about undelivered packages are phishing attempts.
Advent Calendar Scams: Low-quality or nonexistent calendars sold by untrustworthy vendors.
Shady Pop-Up Shops: Temporary retailers that vanish with your money or sell counterfeit goods.
Too-Good-To-Be-True Travel Deals: Unrealistically low offers designed to scam travelers.

How to Stay Safe:

Be skeptical of deals that sound too good to be true.
Verify sellers, charities, and offers through trusted sources.
Avoid clicking on unsolicited links or emails.

The BBB offers a wealth of information to help you navigate the holiday season safely. For the full list of scams and detailed safety tips, visit their 12 Scams of Christmas page.

This holiday season let’s protect our wallets and our personal information while spreading cheer and generosity. A little awareness can go a long way in keeping the holidays merry and bright!