- Статьи
- Society
- Round dances of December: how scammers speculate on the theme of children's Christmas trees
Round dances of December: how scammers speculate on the theme of children's Christmas trees
Fraudsters may speculate on the topic of children's Christmas trees at the end of 2025, experts have warned about this. Parents always plan a budget for them, trying to please their children. This is exactly what scammers use: in the New Year's rush, their offers do not arouse much suspicion and do not prompt a thorough check. For more information about what schemes to expect for children's Christmas trees in December, how dangerous they are and how to protect yourself from them, read the Izvestia article.
Why is the theme of children's Christmas trees interesting to scammers
In order to deceive potential victims, fraudsters monitor the current agenda, including the poster and key events of the year, says the head of BI in an interview with Izvestia.ZONE Digital Risk Protection Dmitry Kiryushkin. Entertainment shows are a traditional attribute of the New Year for children. In December, the demand for such events is growing, and with it the activity of intruders is increasing.
"In the rush of New Year's Eve, adults often lose their vigilance, look for profitable offers and quickly respond to messages about tickets, gifts or "unique" promotions for children — this is what attackers use," says Andrey Sidenko, head of online security for children at Kaspersky Lab.
According to the expert, under the guise of selling tickets to children's Christmas trees, participating in holiday lotteries or booking places for popular events, they can direct parents to phishing pages, promise discounts or "win-win" sweepstakes. In addition, attackers can disguise themselves not only as traditional children's parties, but also as private theaters and studios in regions where information about events is more difficult to verify, adds Maria Mikhailova, head of the Angara MTDR brand protection group.
What schemes on the theme of children's Christmas trees should be expected in December
In December 2025, fraudsters can distribute tickets for children's Christmas trees at favorable prices using chat rooms and channels in messengers and social networks, Dmitry Kiryushkin predicts. As a rule, the attackers present themselves as ordinary users who sell tickets at a special price on the day of the event.
"Ticket draws in the comments to the posts of major Telegram channels are likely to be very popular among scammers," says Izvestia's source. — Users will click on the links to try their luck. And then, according to the scenario, the victim will allegedly win a ticket, but in order to get it, you will need to deposit a small amount.
After receiving the money, cybercriminals will stop contacting and leave the victim with nothing, Dmitry Kiryushkin notes. In addition to messengers, the attackers are likely to use online platforms with ads. Phishing sites, on the contrary, will be created less and less often, as this requires more resources. At the same time, one should not expect radically new scenarios of deception: since the standard schemes are still working, the attackers only change small details taking into account the current agenda.
In turn, Marina Probets, an Internet analyst and expert at Gazinformservice, believes that schemes may appear using deepfakes or AI voices to imitate famous characters or organizers offering "exclusive" meetings or congratulations for an additional fee. It is also likely that there will be an increase in the number of offers for the production of "individual" New Year gifts or video greetings, for which an advance payment will be charged, but the services will not be provided.
"Those who are willing to pay for an unusual experience may also be at risk,— says Alexandra Shmigirilova, GR Director of the Security Code information security company. — Scammers describe supposedly unique offers that are inaccessible to others, for example, a personal meeting with Santa Claus in a special place. The promise of exclusivity also suppresses the desire to test the realism of such an offer.
What schemes on the theme of children's Christmas trees have you seen before
The main fraud schemes on children's Christmas trees remain approximately the same from year to year, in fact, only the tools for their implementation change, says Alexandra Shmigirilova. The scammers' key goal is to force a potential victim to transfer money, for example, by paying on a fake website created using fake links, QR codes, and other methods.
— Previously, in the theme of children's Christmas trees, there were often schemes with the sale of fake tickets for popular performances, distributed through unofficial websites, groups on social networks or from "dealers" who sold either fakes or tickets for long—sold out or non-existent events, - says Marina Probets.
In addition, according to the Izvestia interlocutor, phishing sites that mimic official ticket aggregators were previously distributed, the purpose of which was to steal bank data and personal information. There were often offers of "magical" video greetings from Santa Claus or the Snow Maiden for a nominal fee, which in fact turned out to be of poor quality or were not delivered at all after payment. The scammers also used schemes to draw valuable prizes or free tickets, requiring participants to pay "shipping" or "commission" to receive winnings.
"Despite the fact that children visit Christmas trees, scammers target their schemes specifically at parents and other relatives," notes Dmitry Kiryushkin. — Malefactors take advantage of the fact that parents want to give children a holiday, and distribute a lot of fake tickets online. Of course, the danger of such schemes lies in the theft of funds, as well as in the leakage of victims' data.
The risks of such schemes are not limited to financial losses, adds Alexander Vinokurov, R-Vision's technical account manager. Often, a child's long-awaited holiday is disrupted, and the family's personal data can be used in the future for new attacks.
How to protect yourself from fraud schemes on the theme of children's Christmas trees
To protect against fraudulent schemes related to children's Christmas trees, experts interviewed by Izvestia advise following a number of safety rules. So, Marina Probets reminds that it is always necessary to purchase tickets only on the official websites of event organizers or from trusted ticket operators, carefully checking the address bar of the website for suspicious characters or typos (the presence of an HTTPS connection is mandatory).
— You should be wary of offers about too low prices or exclusive promotions from unofficial sources, and avoid paying for services through direct transfers to personal cards or electronic wallets, — says the expert. — It is always worth checking the reviews about the seller or the site, and if in doubt, it is better to contact the organizer directly through official contacts to clarify the information.
However, you must request an official contract or invoice before making the payment. Money transfers in advance to individuals, especially without documentary evidence, are extremely risky, says Alexandra Shmigirilova. If necessary, it is better to use secure deposit schemes through payment services, as well as always require and save checks, receipts or other financial documents.
— It is necessary to enable two-factor authentication, use complex passwords, and be critical of all overly generous holiday offers. You can also set up a parental control program and discuss your child's digital habits and safety rules without violating personal boundaries," concludes Andrey Sidenko.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
