The Holiday Scam That Cost One Company Million (And How to Protect Your Tampa Bay Business)Annette Slavik, Prodigy Complete IT

Last December, a local accounts payable clerk got an urgent text from her “CEO”:

“Pick up $3,000 in Apple gift cards for clients, scratch the backs, and e-mail the codes ASAP.”

It sounded strange, but it came from the boss’s name, and it was peak holiday chaos.
By the time she double-checked, the cards were gone — and so was the money.

That same month, a Luxembourg-based manufacturer, Orion S.A., lost over $60 million to a more complex scam involving fake wire transfer requests. One quick click cost them half their yearly profits.

And while that might sound like a “big business problem,” we’ve seen the same thing hit construction firms right here in the Tampa Bay area.

A Clearwater roofing contractor nearly sent $12,000 to a fake supplier just before Christmas — caught it only because their bookkeeper picked up the phone to verify.

🛠 5 Holiday Scams Tampa Bay Businesses Need to Watch

  1. “Your Boss Needs Gift Cards” (The $3,000 Text Trap)

The scam: Fraudsters impersonate company leaders and pressure employees to buy gift cards for “clients” or “employee appreciation.”
Prevention: Make it policy — no gift cards without two approvals. Remind staff that no owner or project manager will ever ask via text.

  1. Invoice & Payment Switch-Ups (The Big Money Play)

The scam: Criminals spoof vendor e-mails with “updated banking details” or sneak into ongoing project threads right as year-end invoices hit.
In June 2024, the Town of Arlington, MA, lost nearly $500K this way — and we’ve seen similar attempts on Tampa-area builders.
Prevention: Always confirm banking changes with a known phone number (never the one in the e-mail). Follow a “phone call rule” for any payment over $5,000.

  1. Fake Shipping & Delivery Notices

The scam: Phishing messages mimic UPS, FedEx, or USPS links to “reschedule a delivery.”
Prevention: Bookmark official tracking sites and teach staff to type them in directly — no clicking links in texts or e-mails.

  1. Malicious “Holiday Party” Attachments

The scam: E-mails with attachments like Holiday_Schedule.pdf or Party_List.xls can install malware when opened.
Prevention: Block macros, scan attachments, and make “verify before you open” part of your office culture.

  1. Bogus Holiday Fundraisers

The scam: Fake charity sites or “company match” campaigns steal money or data.
Prevention: Keep an approved charity list and require donations go through official company channels.

Why These Attacks Work — and How to Stop Them

Scammers love the holidays because teams are distracted, payments move fast, and security habits loosen.

They’re not “Nigerian prince” e-mails anymore — these are professional, researched, and targeted.

Companies that run phishing simulations cut their risk by 60%, yet most small businesses skip training.
And multifactor authentication (MFA) blocks 99% of unauthorized logins — still, many rely only on passwords.

Your Clearwater Holiday Defense Checklist

✅ The Two-Person Rule – Any transaction above your threshold requires verbal confirmation through another channel.
✅ Gift Card Policy – Put it in writing: no gift cards via text or e-mail.
✅ Vendor Verification – Confirm all bank or payment changes by calling numbers already on file.
✅ MFA Everywhere – Enable MFA on all e-mail, banking, and cloud accounts.
✅ Holiday Awareness – Spend 10 minutes in a team huddle reviewing these five scams before year-end.

The Real Cost: More Than Just Money

Orion’s $60 million loss made global headlines — but small Tampa Bay businesses feel the impact faster:

  • Projects delayed during busy season
  • Time lost cleaning up after fraud
  • Customer trust shaken if client data leaks
  • Insurance premiums rising after a cyber claim

The average loss from a single business e-mail compromise is $129,000 — enough to hurt or sink many local firms right before the holidays.

Keep Your Holidays Merry, Not Messy

Here in Clearwater, we’ve helped dozens of contractors, fabricators, and local service companies tighten up their defenses before the year-end rush.

It doesn’t take an overhaul — just a few simple safeguards and a quick training session.

Schedule a 15-minute Security Check-Up with our Tampa Bay IT team
We’ll walk you through practical steps to keep your business — and your holiday profits — safe.

Because the best gift you can give your business this season is peace of mind.