Picture this: Thanksgiving week at an accounting firm. Everyone’s wrapping up projects before the holiday, planning their Black Friday strategy, when suddenly—Christmas came early! A $25 Starbucks gift card lands in everyone’s inbox. “How thoughtful!” they all said. “The firm really gets us!”
Spoiler alert: The firm didn’t send it. It was part of our monthly employee phishing campaign tests.
A quarter of the team had already clicked that link, ready to fuel their pumpkin spice addiction, before someone asked the fateful question: “Hey, did anyone else’s card not work?”
Welcome to our very own holiday phishing attempt. Nothing happened (other than those who clicked the link got signed up for extra cyber security training), but watching some smart minds fall for a fake latte was… educational (and mildly entertaining).
Why the Holidays Are Hacker Christmas
Here’s the thing—that fake gift card didn’t work because we’re gullible (we do cyber security training for all staff, through out the year). It worked because it was PERFECTLY timed. During the holidays, our defenses are down and our expectations are up. We’re used to:
- Black Friday deals flooding our inbox
- Companies sending holiday thank-you gifts
- Password reset emails from shopping sites we haven’t used since last December
- Shipping notifications from carriers we can’t keep track of
Cybercriminals send out 3.4 billion phishing emails globally every day Qualysec, and they know exactly when you’re most likely to click.
The Psychology of the Holiday Click
Our Starbucks incident taught us something important: Smart people make dumb clicks when the context feels right. A gift card email during Thanksgiving week? That tracks. A shipping notification when you’ve ordered seventeen things? Makes sense. A password reset from Amazon during Cyber Monday? Obviously.
The criminals aren’t getting more sophisticated—they’re getting more patient. They’re watching the calendar just like you are.
Your “Is This Email Legit?” Holiday Decoder Ring
Here is a simple checklist you can tape to your monitor if you have to:
The 10-Second Legitimacy Test
1. The Hover Rule Before clicking ANY link, hover over it. Does it actually go to starbucks.com or is it starbucks-gifts-definitely-real.biz? (Ours was the latter, but who checks when free coffee is involved?)
2. The Grammar Check Real companies hire proofreaders. If your “Amazon” email says “You’re package is ready for the picking up,” that’s not Jeff Bezos talking.
3. The Pressure Play “ACT NOW! Your account will be closed in 1 HOUR!” Real companies don’t panic you. Scammers do. Take a breath. Your actual account is fine.
4. The Personal Touch Test Did they use your name or “Valued Customer”? Legitimate companies know who you are. Scammers are casting a wide net.
The Password Chaos Season
Now let’s talk about the other holiday tradition nobody mentions: Password Panic Season. You know the drill:
- Dust off that Pottery Barn account from 2019
- Try to remember if your Best Buy password had one exclamation point or two
- Reset everything because who can remember
- Use “Christmas2025!” because you’re festive and tired
80% of all hacking incidents involve compromised credentials or passwords StrongDM, and the holidays are prime hunting season.
The “Shopping Season Security” Survival Guide
For Your Inbox:
The Gift Card Rule: If someone sends you a gift card, text them to confirm. Yes, even if it ruins the surprise. Your dignity is worth more than $25 of coffee.
The Shipping Scam: Phishing attempts impersonate shipping companies regularly during peak shopping periods Total Assure. Go directly to FedEx/UPS/USPS websites and enter tracking numbers there. Never click the email link.
The Deal Detective: That 90% off email from “Nordstorm” (note the spelling)? If it seems too good to be true, it’s probably too good to be spelled correctly.
For Your Passwords:
The Password Manager Memorial Day This is your sign to finally get a password manager. Every site gets a unique, random password. No more “Target2025!” followed by “Walmart2025!” We see you. There are plenty of good password manager options out there, including 1Password, NordPass or ProtonPass.
The MFA Marathon Turn on two-factor authentication for EVERYTHING you’re shopping on. Yes, it’s annoying. Multi-factor authentication reduces successful attacks by 90% Total Assure. Those extra 10 seconds could save you thousands.
The Credit Card Strategy Use credit cards, not debit cards, for online shopping. Use virtual card numbers if your bank offers them. Create shopping-specific email addresses. Paranoid? Maybe. Protected? Definitely.
Our Starbucks Incident: The Aftermath
Want to know the best part of our phishing story? We turned a little embarrassment into education:
- We encourage our team to post questions on “suspicious emails” into our teams channel
- Implemented a “no shame” policy for reporting clicks on suspicious links
- Most importantly: we talk about it
Because here’s what we learned: 95% of cybersecurity breaches are attributed to human error Astra Security, but human error happens when humans feel rushed, excited, or exhausted. Sound like any season you know?
The Holiday Security Pledge
Before you dive into your Cyber Monday shopping marathon, make these promises to yourself:
- I will not reuse passwords (even festive ones)
- I will hover before I click (especially on gift cards)
- I will enable MFA (yes, even for that store I shop at once a year)
- I will question generous strangers (companies rarely give away free stuff)
- I will not shop on public WiFi (the mall’s “FREE_WIFI_DEFINITELY_SAFE” is lying)
The Real Gift This Season
You know what’s better than a $25 Starbucks card that actually works? Not losing your identity to someone in a basement halfway around the world.
60% of small businesses that suffer a cyberattack shut down within six months Bdemerson. But 100% of businesses that train their people, secure their passwords, and stay skeptical of “free” gifts survive the holiday season intact.
Your Holiday Homework
Before December 25:
- Set up a password manager (make it your gift to yourself)
- Enable MFA on your main shopping sites
- Create a “shopping only” email address
For 2026:
- Make security training as regular as coffee runs
- Build a culture where people can admit mistakes without shame
- Remember: the best hackers aren’t technical geniuses—they’re psychology majors
The Bottom Line
Our Starbucks incident could have been worse… if it was real. We use a top of the line anti-virus and spam filtering software, which blocks 99.9% of those malicious attempts. That being said, it’s always that .01% that causes the biggest problems. This served as the perfect reminder that cybersecurity isn’t about being the smartest person in the room—it’s about being the most cautious person in the inbox.
This holiday season, be generous with your spirit, careful with your clicks, and stingy with your passwords. Because the only thing that should be stolen this Christmas is the last piece of pie.
Stay safe out there, and remember: real gift cards work on the first try.
P.S. – Yes, we sent that phishing email. It was our IT department’s way of keeping everyone sharp during peak scam season. To those who clicked: you’re in good company (and mandatory security training). To those who didn’t: congratulations, your skepticism has earned you a REAL Starbucks card. Trust no one—not even us—especially during the holidays.
P.P.S. – Special shoutout to the employee who replied to the phishing test with “Nice try, IT. My caffeine addiction isn’t that desperate.” You win the internet today.
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