Consumers are urged to exercise caution this Christmas shopping season, as new research from McAfee Labs indicates a significant increase in brand impersonation by cybercriminals. The Tech giants Apple, Nintendo, and Samsung, alongside luxury labels like Coach, Dior, and Gucci, are among the most frequently faked brands targeted by scammers. McAfee’s analysis of festive shopping scams is based on real-world web activity data collected between October and November 2025, specifically focusing on impersonation of luxury brands and mainstream consumer products.[1]
The findings highlight a surge in fake online stores and a rise in scam-related online activities as the holiday rush intensifies. McAfee Labs’ investigation uncovers how adeptly scammers are replicating trusted retailers through convincing lookalike online shopfronts, deceptive email alerts, and misleading social media advertisements. The speed and convenience of modern online shopping, often conducted on mobile devices and across social platforms, provide opportunities for these realistic fakes to deceive shoppers.
Knowing which brands are most impersonated can help individuals pause, identify suspicious signs, and enhance their online safety. The research also observed a notable increase in malicious activity corresponding with key shopping periods, including a 10% rise in scam URLs and emails impersonating popular brands between early October and early November.
The brands most frequently exploited by scammers align with popular gift categories during the festive season, including technology, high-end items, and products in high demand. Cybercriminals capitalize on familiar names and employ realistic visuals and messaging to match consumer expectations. Fraudulent websites often feature copied product images, similar layouts, customer service language, and promotional graphics designed to prompt shoppers into entering payment details.
Top 5 Mainstream Consumer Brands:
- Apple: This brand leads the list of mainstream consumer brands with the highest volume of URL scams identified in the analysis.
- Nintendo: Impersonations are significantly driven by high consumer demand for the Nintendo Switch 2 during the 2025 festive period.
- Samsung: Scams related to Samsung predominantly involve fraudulent offers for phones and accessories.
- Disney: Many Disney scams originate from fake Disney+ streaming offers and account alerts.
- Steam: This platform frequently appears in scam URLs, with fraud often linked to Steam gift cards for PC gaming and the increasing popularity of Steam Deck.
Top 5 Luxury Brands:
- Coach
- Dior
- Ralph Lauren
- Rolex
- Gucci
Luxury brand impersonation scams are heavily concentrated among a select group of names, with Coach accounting for approximately 45% more scam-related URLs than the second most impersonated luxury brand, Dior. Overall, fake online stores for high-end brands, including Coach, Dior, Gucci, Rolex, and Ralph Lauren, have increased by 45%.
The festive season brings heightened excitement for deals, but also an increased risk of deception. Eight in ten (86%) Britons report seeing advertisements from unfamiliar retailers, whilst 58% express greater concern about AI-generated scams this year compared to last. One third (35%) of consumers have abandoned purchase due to suspicion. Despite 29% believing they can identify a scam, almost one in five (19%) admit to having fallen victim to one during a previous festive shopping period.
Head of EMEA at McAfee, Vonny Gamot, commented on the situation: “Scammers have always taken advantage of the holiday rush to exploit people looking for deals, but AI has made it easier for them to copy trusted brands with speed and accuracy that is hard to spot. From imposter websites and fake products to convincing emails and texts designed to pull people in, scammers today are using AI to create some of the most believable social-engineering tricks we’ve ever seen. The best protection is to slow down and verify what you see.”
McAfee offers several tips for a secure shopping experience:
- Pause before clicking: If you receive a text, direct message, or email about a deal, navigate directly to the retailer’s official website or application instead.
- Stick to trusted retailers: If a deal appears rushed or the brand seems unfamiliar, it is safer to avoid it.
- Look for warning signs: Be cautious of messages that pressure you to act quickly, demand payment via gift cards or wire transfers, request personal information, or insist on keeping quiet. These are common scam indicators.
- Protect your shopping experience: Enable two-factor authentication for enhanced account security, use strong and unique passwords, only shop on secure websites (identified by "https://" and a padlock icon), and regularly monitor bank and credit card statements for any unusual transactions.
- Use AI-powered scam protection: Consider employing reputable tools, such as McAfee’s Scam Detector, which can identify and flag suspicious links and scams before they cause harm.
Consumer research was conducted via an online McAfee survey in August 2025, involving 8,600 adults across Australia, France, Germany, India, Japan, the UK, and the US.
This article is shared at no charge for educational and informational purposes only.
Red Sky Alliance is a Cyber Threat Analysis and Intelligence Service organization. We provide indicators of compromise information via a notification service (RedXray) or an analysis service (CTAC). For questions, comments or assistance, please contact the office directly at 1-844-492-7225, or feedback@redskyalliance.com
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[1] https://www.cybersecurityintelligence.com/blog/cyber-criminals-focus-on-luxury-brands-8920.html
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