Festive Fraud: scam messages triple, 5 tips to stay safe

UK consumers are being warned to stay vigilant as scam messages are expected to triple during the festive period, fuelled by a £28 billion surge in online spending.

According to new analysis from mobile experts at Uswitch, the “Golden Quarter”, the period from November to January, is seeing a 300% spike in fraudulent messages. With 85% of Britons now shopping online, scammers are increasingly exploiting the high volume of deliveries and digital transactions characteristic of the holiday season.

A Surge in Search for Scams

The scale of the threat is reflected in consumer anxiety; search queries for “online tracking scams,” “Christmas giveaway texts,” and “brand-associated scam texts” have surged by 5,000% this month alone.

Data from the first half of 2025 reveals that UK mobiles were hit by approximately 37,660 unsolicited scam and spam calls. Retail-related scams have become the sixth most common type of nuisance contact, accounting for 1,869 reports in six months – more than double the number of insurance-related reports.

The Most Common Nuisance Calls in 2025

While retail scams are a major festive threat, they are part of a broader landscape of unsolicited contact.

Rank	Topic	Occurrences (Jan – June 2025)	% of Nuisance Calls
1	Adult content	5,242	13.9%
2	Energy saving / Home improvements	3,488	9.3%
3	Recruitment	2,628	7.0%
4	Banking	2,141	5.7%
5	Broadband and Telecoms	2,006	5.3%
6	Retail	1,869	5.0%

Source: Uswitch analysis of 2025 unsolicited contact reports

Regional Hotspots

Geographically, London remains the primary target for fraudsters. Phone numbers with the 020 area code are 184% more likely to be at risk than those in Manchester. London recorded a staggering 217 million spam phone number lookups, followed by Manchester and Birmingham.

Rank	City	Area Code	Total Phone Lookups	% of Total
1	London	020	217,689,977	26.21%
2	Manchester	161	76,604,224	9.22%
3	Birmingham	121	28,062,454	3.38%

Source: Uswitch Cold Call Hotspots

The Rise of AI and Purchase Scams

Scammers are also employing more sophisticated methods. Purchase scams have accounted for 71% of all claims this year, with the average value of these claims rising by £250 year-on-year. Furthermore, the use of AI has enabled “deepfake” calls, where fraudsters mimic the voices of family members or colleagues to request urgent financial help.

5 Tips to Stay Safe

Archie Burkinshaw, a mobiles expert at Uswitch, recommends several steps to protect your data and finances this Christmas:

Two-Step Verification: Enable 2FA on all important accounts to add a layer of security that requires a one-time code.

Verify the Seller: Never tap on links in unsolicited messages. Visit official websites directly and check customer reviews before buying.

Challenge Unusual Calls: If a call from a “relative” feels rushed or asks for money, hang up and call them back on a saved number.

Block and Filter: Use built-in smartphone features or apps like TrueCaller to silence unknown numbers.

Report Spam: Forward suspicious texts to 7726 to alert the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

https://www.uswitch.com/

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