Digital security and privacy platform, Avast has put a festive spin on scam awareness this year with the launch of ‘The Twelve Days of Scam-mas.’ From December 1-12, Avast will debut a new one-minute, colourfully animated episode each day on its YouTube channel.
This new animated YouTube series helps people enjoy a safe holiday season by learning how to spot and avoid the holiday threats that peak during this heavy buying season.
According to Gen researchers, attacks from fake online shopping sites more than doubled last holiday season. Additionally, nearly one third of Aussies admit they take more risks shopping online during sales season with the worst offenders revealed as Gen Z (43 per cent) and Millennials (42 per cent), who openly said they “cut corners” online to secure a deal. Boomers? Only 8 per cent.
“The holidays are a magical time, but they also bring a surge in scams that can quickly ruin the cheer,” said Leyla Bilge, director of scam research labs for Avast (part of Gen).
“With our new ‘Scam-mas’ series, we’re making essential safety tips accessible to all and served with a side of holiday cheer. By wrapping real-life lessons in engaging, festive stories, we hope to help families shop, share, and celebrate with confidence.”
Inspired by real holiday scams, from fake online shops and spoofed delivery texts to too-good-to-be-true giveaways, every episode highlights a specific seasonal scam tactic. Scam-mas uses simple, memorable storytelling rather than technical jargon, offering families an easy way to learn about online risks and discuss safe digital habits.
The series features Deceivus, a mischievous robot who is a playful stand-in for the real-world scammers who exploit emotion, urgency, and trust. Each scam Deceivus attempts is grounded in Gen’s proprietary threat intelligence and reflects the top scams its researchers are actively tracking.
Avast invites consumers everywhere to tune in daily from December 1–12 to learn about the top scams “you’d better watch out” for this holiday season. Sharing the series with friends and family is the perfect way to help keep holiday spirits high and scammers out in the cold.
