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January 23rd, 2026
During the coronavirus quarantine, many people are turning to the video-chatting platform, Zoom, in order to have virtual Christmas parties. However, scammers know that many people are trying to host their Christmas parties virtually this year due to the coronavirus and are using this to their advantage when trying to steal people’s identities. Here are some holiday Zoom app scams to be aware of and tips on how to plan a virtual holiday party safely.
Types of Holiday Zoom App Scams
Account Issues Scam
Scammers send a phishing email to you claiming that something is wrong with your Zoom account. They claim that someone either hacked into it, your password needs to be changed, your payment information needs to be updated, or a number of many other excuses.
You click on the link in the email thinking it is legit, and it takes you to a fake website that looks exactly like Zoom’s official website. There’s a form on the website for you to fill out your financial and personal information, which scammers can use to steal your identity and finances.
Fake Invite Link Scam
Scammers send you a phishing email that contains a fake invite link, pretending to be one of your well-known friends or family members. You click on the link thinking it’s legit, and it takes you to a fake website that looks like the official Zoom website. The website asks for your log-in information and other personal information so that you can join this invite-only Zoom meeting.
Once you enter the information, malware gets installed onto your device stealing even more personal information. Along with this, your Zoom account can possibly get hacked, your personal information can get stolen, and even your financial information if you entered this onto the form.
Activate Your Account Scam
Scammers send an email to you, letting you know that you need to activate your Zoom account. Once you get this email, you believe that you actually need to click on the link to activate your account. Once you click on the link, it takes you to a page asking you to fill out your information.
Sometimes, it even states that it costs money to activate your account and will ask for financial information. Once you enter all of this information, scammers then use it to steal your identity and drain your bank account.
How to Plan a Virtual Holiday Party Without the Zoom App Scams
- Invite your friends via phone call and text them the link privately via text message.
- Don’t open emailed links without checking to make sure the email address of the invite matches the email address of your friend or family member.
- Contact your friend or family member via phone call to make sure they were the ones that sent you the invite.
- If you have activated your Zoom account before, don’t worry about activating it again.
- If there is an email suggesting that you need to change your password or financial information, do so on the official Zoom website instead of clicking on the link emailed to you.
- Don’t give out your personal or financial information on links emailed to you, or to anyone who has emailed you asking for it.
Social Catfish is Here to Help You!
At Social Catfish, we want to help you verify the identities of those who might seem suspicious to you. If you have their name, email address, phone number, social media username, or image, you can reverse search and see who the suspected person was that you’ve been in contact with if you think you’ve been a victim of holiday Zoom app scams.
