The festive season is one of the most exciting times of the year but it’s also one of the busiest for counterfeiters. As shoppers rush to find the perfect gifts, fraudsters flood the internet with fake toys, imitation electronics, unsafe cosmetics, and increasingly, counterfeit advent calendars. The surge in online shopping, especially through social media ads and standalone pop-up websites, has made it easier for criminals to target consumers.
Here’s how to keep your Christmas merry, bright, and safe.
Why Counterfeits Spike During the Holidays
UK and US enforcement agencies (like Trading Standards, the FTC, and customs authorities) report a strong seasonal rise in counterfeit goods between Black Friday and Christmas. Fraudsters know that:
- Shoppers are looking for bargains.
- High-demand items sell out quickly, creating a market for fakes.
- People are more likely to buy from unfamiliar sites when hunting for deals.
- Gift buyers often feel time-pressured and skip safety checks.
This year, there’s a notable trend: fake advent calendars, especially beauty, skincare, and premium-brand calendars that normally sell out fast.
The Rise of Fake Advent Calendars
Advent calendars have evolved far beyond chocolate — they’re now premium gifts filled with beauty products, fragrances, candles, crafts, and handmade-style items. Naturally, this makes them a prime target for scammers.
There’s a surge in fake advent calendars that use stolen photography or misleading imagery to make low-quality items look handmade, artisan, or 3D — when the real product is nothing like what’s advertised.
- These fakes are appearing across:
- Standalone “flash sale” websites
- Social media marketplace listings
- Pop-up online boutiques
- Influencer ads
- And even on well-known high-street retailer websites via third-party sellers
How the scam works
Scammers lift photos from genuine creators, for instance, seaglass Christmas trees, ocean-themed decorations, knitted “emotional support” vegetables, handmade crafts, and more. The listings show beautiful 3D items… but what arrives is often just a flat resin print of the original photo, not the handcrafted object shown.
It’s not technically a counterfeit product, but it is deceptive and deeply disappointing for shoppers expecting something authentic.
Why trusted stores are showing these fakes
Big-name shops (like national pharmacy chains and department stores) now operate like marketplaces, allowing third-party sellers to list items. That means the products aren’t always curated by the store itself. In many cases, the same fake items appear on Amazon or other marketplaces and originate from cheap wholesale suppliers.
So consumers believe they’re buying from a trusted retailer, when in reality they’re buying from a third-party seller using the retailer’s platform.
Another growing issue is the use of AI-generated product images, especially for packaging. If the photos look overly smooth, slightly distorted, or unrealistically perfect, there’s a good chance the image isn’t of a real product at all. Scammers often use AI mockups when the item won’t exist for long — or doesn’t exist beyond the listing. There’s little point photographing something with a short shelf life, so AI fills the gap. If the packaging looks artificial, you’re likely not seeing the genuine item, and what arrives will look nothing like the picture.
How to protect yourself
If a listing looks too perfect, too cheap, or too heavily edited, it’s worth taking a moment to double-check. A simple reverse image search can reveal whether the photos belong to another artist or retailer, a strong sign the calendar may not be what it seems.
Beware of Standalone Websites That Appear Overnight
One of the biggest red flags this season is the sudden appearance of standalone sites claiming to offer premium brands at massive discounts:
- “70% OFF Christmas Clearance”
- “Official Holiday Sale”
- “Brand Outlet — Last Chance!”
Scammers register dozens of these websites with disposable domains, run short-term ads, collect payments — and vanish.
Signs a website might be fake:
- No physical address or generic contact information
- Spelling errors or awkward wording
- Prices significantly below retail
- Only one payment method (e.g., card only, no PayPal)
- No returns policy
- Site has no history (domain created recently)
Tip: Do a Reverse Image Search Before You Buy
Counterfeit sellers frequently steal product photos from real brands.
You can quickly verify product authenticity by doing a reverse image search:
- Save the product image or copy its URL.
- Go to Google Images and click the camera icon.
- Upload the image or paste the link.
If you discover the same image is used on:
- Scam alert websites
- Totally different brand pages
- Multiple suspicious sellers
- …you’re likely looking at a fake.
It’s a simple but powerful way to check whether the product actually belongs to a legitimate brand.
Safe Christmas Shopping Tips
Here are practical steps to protect your gifts — and your wallet:
- Buy from official retailers or authorised stockists. This is the single best way to avoid counterfeits.
- Check reviews — but look deeper. Fake stores often have no reviews or dozens of glowing, obviously scripted ones.
- Research the website. Look for, company registration, contact details, returns policy, SSL certificate (https) to ensure authenticity.
- Compare prices: Counterfeiters thrive on deals that look irresistible.
- Be cautious with social media ads. Fraudulent ads can appear very polished. Always check the website behind the ad.
- Inspect packaging when items arrive. Counterfeits often have:
- Poor printing
- Thin materials
- Missing safety labels
- Incorrect spellings
- Strange smells (especially cosmetics)
Genuine gifts bring joy. Counterfeits bring disappointment. This Christmas, protect yourself and your loved ones by shopping carefully, questioning deals that look too tempting, and using tools like reverse image search to check product authenticity.
Check out our Brand Protection Playbook to get instant access to our one-stop guide on removing counterfeit listings from major marketplaces. You can also sign up for a free audit to scan the extent of your counterfeit problem.
We are happy to help if you need personalised consultation with one of our team members. Book a slot.
