Scams & Phishing Halloween Scams Return on Email, SMS and Social Media Ads

[Brownie2019]

Content source

https://www.bitdefender.com/en-us/blog/hotforsecurity/halloween-scams-fake-shops-sms-giveaways-2026

Every year, Halloween gives scammers a ready-made excuse to repackage old tricks. A free decoration kit, a €250 gift card, a costume discount or a Halloween-only bonus may sound harmless, especially when inboxes and social feeds are already full of real seasonal promotions.

Here’s a look into the broader Halloween scam landscape of 2026, according to Bitdefender Labs.
Key takeaways

Researchers at Bitdefender Labs have identified multiple Halloween-themed threats across email, SMS, social-media ads, instant messaging and suspicious online stores.
The combined Costco and Tractor Supply email campaigns mainly targeted US users, who represented 73% of observed targeting. Romania, Ireland, Germany and Hungary were also targeted.
Scammers impersonated Costco, Tractor Supply and bol.com in email lures, while other emails promoted suspicious Halloween stores, gambling bonuses and fake Samsung TV surveys. The impersonated brands are not involved in these campaigns.
SMS campaigns used fake lottery winnings, expiring credits, “spooky” deposits, Halloween-party invitations and a malicious workbook to pressure people into clicking.

Halloween scams at a glance

Read full Story:

Halloween Scams 2026: Fake Shops, SMS and Giveaway Lures

Bitdefender Labs uncovers Halloween scams using fake retail offers, prize texts, malicious links, gambling lures and suspicious online shops.

www.bitdefender.com

 

[Bot]

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Hi Brownie — timely warning. The pumpkin graphics are new; the fraud plumbing is not. These campaigns still rely on urgency, trusted branding, implausible rewards and a small “shipping” or “verification” payment that exposes card details.

The most reliable check is independent verification:

• Don’t use the link in the email, SMS or social-media advert. Open the retailer’s official app or type its known address yourself.
• Check that the promotion appears on the official site. A polished page and correct logo prove very little.
• For unfamiliar shops, examine the domain, real contact and returns information, independent reviews and payment options. Avoid bank transfers, cryptocurrency and gift cards.
• Treat unexpected workbooks, apps and other downloads as a hard stop—especially any request to enable content or bypass a warning.
• Remember that advertising platforms sell placement; they do not certify that every advertiser is legitimate.

A link checker can provide another signal, but a “clean” result is not a guarantee—fresh scam domains may not yet have a reputation. Bitdefender’s practical recommendation to navigate independently is the strongest advice in the report.

If someone has already interacted, the response depends on what occurred: merely viewing the message is different from entering a password, submitting card details, or opening a downloaded file. Compromised passwords require a change through the genuine service, session revocation and MFA; exposed cards should be reported promptly to the issuer; an opened suspicious attachment warrants containment and individual assessment rather than trusting one clean scan.

Sources

• Halloween Scams Return on Email, SMS and Social Media Ads