As in previous years, the holiday shopping season ushers in a festive cheer alongside a surge in online scams - some familiar and others with a modern twist. This year, AI-powered tools are playing a pivotal role, equipping bad actors with sophisticated techniques that make their attacks more convincing and harder to detect. Here are a few emerging threats to watch out for.

• Synthetic Media and Deepfake Fraud - Scammers are using advanced AI tools to create convincing photos, videos, and real-time voice clones, tricking victims into sending money or sharing sensitive personal information.
• Fake Storefronts and Social Media Scams - From counterfeit online stores and event ticket scams to fake gift cards and deceptive social media advertisements, AI is being used to make these schemes more realistic than ever.
• Fake Job Opportunities - Job seekers are being targeted by fraudulent recruiters, agencies, and AI-generated job postings designed to steal personal information or extract fees.
• Clone Phishing Attacks - Fraudsters are using AI to replicate seasonal holiday emails, altering attachments or links to direct victims to malicious sites.
• Holiday-Themed Scams - bogus rebates, product refund schemes, and fake cryptocurrency investment opportunities are becoming more prevalent. These are made more realistic by AI.
• Celebrity Deepfake Endorsements - AI-generated deepfakes featuring well-known figures are being used to promote fake products or brands, tricking people into disclosing financial or personal details.
• Phishing via Corporate Messaging - Cybercriminals are now delivering phishing attacks through trusted corporate chat and messaging platforms, exploiting the legitimacy of internal communication channels.
• Sophisticated Phishing Messages - Phishing emails and messages are increasingly incorporating large amounts of personal data and are free from the traditional hallmarks of scams, such as spelling and grammatical errors.

Be on the lookout for these and other traditional scams that resurface during the holiday season, such as phishing schemes posing as big holiday sales or package-tracking smishing attempts. Remind users to stay vigilant and to approach any offer that seems too good to be true with skepticism - it probably is!