Highlighting the scale and timing of these threats, Mr. Karmendra Kohli, Co-Founder & CEO of SecurEyes, warned:
"The festive season has unfortunately become a prime operational period for cybercriminals. Attackers actively exploit consumer excitement, the sudden influx of online purchases, and high-volume discount offers to deceive individuals when their guard is down. In 2025 alone, Karnataka lost over ₹2,000 crore to cyber fraud—a stark reminder of how rapidly these threats are scaling."
The Anatomy of Festive Season Scams
Scammers systematically leverage rushed decision-making during flash sales and limited-time festive deals. Utilizing convincing brand visuals, spoofed landing pages, and psychological triggers like fake urgency, bad actors lure victims across several key vectors:
Phishing Links & Fake Vouchers: SMS, email, or WhatsApp alerts offering exclusive "Festive Gift Cards" or "Mega Deals" that direct victims to credential-harvesting sites designed to steal banking logins and UPI PINs.
Fraudulent Shopping Portals: Impostor e-commerce sites mimicking legitimate retailers with deep discounts on high-value electronics and jewelry. Post-payment, the sites disappear or dispatch counterfeit goods.
Impersonation & Support Fraud: Calls or messages from individuals posing as bank officials, delivery partners, or e-commerce customer support claiming urgent account or delivery issues to extract OTPs.
QR Code Traps: Deceptive QR codes distributed under the guise of festive cashback or rewards. Scanning these codes authorizes fund transfers out of the user's account rather than receiving money.
Critical Safety Guidelines for Safe Holiday Shopping SecurEyes advises shoppers to maintain strict digital hygiene and double-check transactional channels before committing funds.
Five Essential Digital Safety Rules:
Evaluate 'Too Good to Be True' Offers: Heavy markdowns (e.g., 80–90% off premium smartphones) are strong indicators of fraudulent storefronts.
Verify Portals Directly: Avoid clicking transactional links in SMS or messaging apps. Access platforms directly through official mobile applications or genuine website URLs.
Inspect Web Security Indicators: Ensure web addresses begin with https:// and display the lock icon. Carefully check domain names for minor misspellings.
Protect Confidential Credentials: Legitimate institutions, e-commerce platforms, and banks will never contact customers asking for One-Time Passwords (OTPs), PINs, or card details.
Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Activate two-step verification across banking, e-commerce, and primary personal accounts for secondary protection.
Commenting on the proactive stance needed to curb digital fraud, Mr. Kohli emphasized:
"Vigilance remains our strongest shield against digital threats. Cybersecurity isn't just a technical layer; it is built on simple, daily digital habits. By staying alert and verifying every transaction, we can ensure the festive season remains a time of celebration, not financial distress."
About SecurEyes
SecurEyes is a trusted global cybersecurity partner delivering specialized expertise across security assessments, managed security services, and Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC). The company's portfolio includes advanced software products that enable organizations to manage evolving regulatory, supervisory, and compliance mandates efficiently.
SecurEyes supports national regulatory bodies, government organizations, and major enterprises across critical infrastructure sectors. The organization is officially empanelled with CERT-In, the National Informatics Centre (NIC), and NICSI to provide accredited Information Security Auditing Services.
For more information, please visit https://secureyes.net/.
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