Watch Out for July 4 Holiday Scams
As Independence Day approaches, and with this year’s historic 250th anniversary celebration, fraudsters are ramping up their efforts. Reports are showing a rise in patriotic merchandise scams, fake social media ads and AI-generated websites designed to steal payment information or personal data. Fraudsters often use limited-time deals and flash sales to create a false sense of urgency.
Your staff may be targeted with malicious email messages from scammers impersonating vendors, colleagues, or other departments. Staff should be alert for emails containing links or shared documents intended to compromise accounts or install malware. Holiday periods are especially attractive to cybercriminals, who know staffing levels may be lower and employees covering for colleagues may be more distracted.
Action Steps
- Remind your staff about the increased risk of holiday scams and the importance of staying alert for phishing emails and other malicious messages.
- Reinforce cybersecurity awareness by sharing our two-minute Pause Verify Report Every Day training video with your team as part of your periodic reminder requirements.
Bookmark our Internal Controls webpage and CTR Compliance Corner for alerts and success factors that you can integrate into your daily operations to keep you safe on your mission.