Security firm McAfee has released its list of the “12 Scams of Christmas” to raise awareness and warn consumers of online scams designed to steal their money, personal information, or identities.

Below is McAfee’s list of the 12 Scams of Christmas:

• Mobile malware. Malware targeted at mobile devices is on the rise, and Android smartphones are most at risk. In its Q2 2011 Threats Report, McAfee cited a 76% increase in malware targeted at Android devices as compared to the previous quarter, making it the most targeted smartphone platform. Additionally, security experts have recently found new malware that targets QR codes, a digital barcode that consumers might scan with their smartphone to learn about products they want to buy or find good deals holiday shopping deals.
• Malicious mobile applications. These are mobile apps designed to steal information from smartphones or send out expensive text messages without a user’s consent. Dangerous apps are usually offered for free and masquerade as fun applications, such as games. For example, last year, 4.6 million Android smartphone users downloaded a suspicious wallpaper app last year that collected and transmitted user data to a foreign and suspicious site.
• Phony Facebook promotions and contests. Who doesn’t want to win some free prizes or get a great deal around the holidays? Cyberscammers know that these are attractive lures and they have sprinkled Facebook with phony promotions and contests aimed at gathering personal information. A recent scam advertised two free airline tickets, but required participants to fill out multiple surveys requesting personal information. Once collected, this information was given to telemarketers.
• Scareware, or fake antivirus software. Scareware is the fake antivirus software that tricks users into believing that their computer is at risk or is already infected, so they agree to download and pay for phony software. With an estimated one million victims falling for this scam every day, this is one of the most common and dangerous Internet threats. In October 2010, McAfee reported that scareware represented 23% of all dangerous Internet links, and this percentage is expected to rise during the holiday season.
• Holiday screensavers. Bringing holiday cheer to your home or work PC sounds like a fun idea to get into the holiday spirit, but be careful. A recent search for a Santa screensaver that promises to let you “fly with Santa in 3D” is malicious. Holiday-themed ringtones and e-cards have been known to be dangerous as well.
• Mac malware. Until recently, Mac users felt pretty insulated from online security threats, since most were targeted at PCs. But with the growing popularity of Apple products, for both business and personal use, cybercriminals have designed a new wave of malware directed squarely at Mac users. According to McAfee Labs, as of late 2010, there were 5,000 pieces of malware targeting Macs, and this number is increasing by 10% month on month.
• Holiday phishing scams. Phishing is the act of tricking consumers into revealing information or performing actions they wouldn’t normally do online. Cyberscammers know that most people are busy around the holidays so they tailor their emails and social messages with holiday themes in the hopes of tricking recipients into revealing personal information. A common holiday phishing scam is a phony notice from a local courier service stating that you have a package and need to fill out an attached form to get it delivered. The form may ask for personal or financial details that will go straight into the hands of the cyberscammer. Banking phishing scams also continue to be popular and the holiday season means consumers will be spending more money and checking bank balances more often. From July to September of this year, McAfee Labs identified approximately 2,700 phishing URLs per day. As well, SMS phishing, or “smishing”, remains a concern. Scammers send their fake messages via a text alert to a phone, notifying an unsuspecting consumer that his bank account has been compromised. The cybercriminals then direct the consumer to call a phone number to get it re-activated and collects the user’s personal information including social insurance number, address and account details.
• Online coupon scams. Couponing has become wildly popular and there’s nothing better than a deal during the holidays. Scammers know that by offering irresistible online coupons, they can convince people to hand over some of their personal information. One popular scam is to lure consumers with the hope of winning a "free" iPad. Consumers click on a "phishing" site, which can result in email spam and possibly dealing with identify theft. Consumers are also offered an online coupon code and once they agree, are asked to provide personal information, including credit card details, passwords and other financial data.
• Mystery shopper scams. Mystery shoppers are people who are hired to shop in a store and report back on the customer service.  To many consumers, this sounds like a great way to make a little extra cash during the holidays. Cyber scammers use this opportunity as a way to lure people into revealing personal and financial information.  There have been reports of scammers sending text messages that offer to pay $50 an hour for mystery shoppers to unsuspecting victims, and instructing them to call a number if they are interested.  Once the victim calls, they are asked for their personal information, including credit card and bank account numbers.
• Hotel "wrong transaction" malware emails. Many people travel over the holidays, so it’s no surprise that cybercriminals have designed travel-related scams in the hopes of enticing people to click on dangerous emails. In one recent example, a scammer sent out emails that appeared to be from a hotel, claiming that a "wrong transaction" had been discovered on the recipient’s credit card.  It then asked them to fill out an attached refund form. Once opened, the attachment downloaded malware onto their machine.
• “It” gift scams. Every year there are hot holiday gifts, such as toys and gadgets, that sell out early in the season. Gift-givers sometimes become desperate to obtain the “it” gift and they search high and low for it online. When a gift is hot, scammers will advertise these gifts on rogue websites and social networks, even if they don’t have them. Consumers  thus wind up paying for an item and giving away credit card details only to receive nothing in return. Once the scammers have the personal financial details, there is little recourse.
• “I’m away from home” scammers. A lot of consumers will travel over the holidays without realizing that posting information about their absence on social networking sites could actually be dangerous. Some users are connected on Facebook and other social networking sites with people they don’t know. There is always the possibility that they will view status updates about being away on vacation as invitations to rob their homes, especially since quick online searches can easily turn up their home address.