You'd Better Watch Out: Avast Launches Animated Series to Help People Outsmart "Scam-mas" Tricksters

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Dec 01, 2025, 09:00 ET

New animated YouTube series "The Twelve Days of Scam-mas" makes learning about holiday scams fun, fast and festive

TEMPE, Ariz. and PRAGUE, Dec. 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Avast, a leader in digital security and privacy and part of Gen (NASDAQ: GEN), is putting a festive spin on scam awareness this year with the launch of "The Twelve Days of Scam-mas." From December 1-12, Avast will debut a new one-minute, colorfully animated episode each day on its YouTube channel.

Scam-mas is here — and so is Deceivus, the holiday trickster behind twelve festive scams. Get a first look at the sneaky schemes targeting shoppers this season, and learn how to keep your holidays safe and scam-free. Tune in to "The Twelve Days of Scam-mas" December 1-12 as new episodes drop daily at 2 p.m. PT/5 pm ET.

This new animated series helps people enjoy a safe holiday season by learning how to spot and avoid the threats that peak during this heavy buying period. According to Gen researchers, attacks from fake online shopping sites more than doubled last holiday season and Gen blocked over 1.26 million fake ads. Additionally, nearly one-third of Americans say they were targeted by a scam during the holidays right as people were juggling gift lists, travel plans and inboxes full of holiday noise.

"The holidays are a magical time, but they also bring a surge in scams that can quickly ruin the cheer," said Leyla Bilge, Director of Scam Research Labs for Avast (part of Gen). "With our new 'Scam-mas' series, we're making essential safety tips accessible to all and serving them with a side of holiday cheer. By wrapping real-life lessons in engaging, festive stories, we hope to help families shop, share, and celebrate with confidence."

Inspired by real holiday scams, from fake online shops and spoofed delivery texts to too-good-to-be-true giveaways, every episode highlights a specific seasonal scam tactic. Scam-mas uses simple, memorable storytelling rather than technical jargon, offering families an easy way to learn about online risks and discuss safe digital habits.

The series features Deceivus, a mischievous robot who serves as a playful stand-in for the real-world scammers who exploit emotion, urgency, and trust. Each scam Deceivus attempts is grounded in Gen's proprietary threat intelligence and reflects the top scams its researchers are actively tracking.

Avast invites people everywhere to tune in daily at 2 p.m. PT/5 pm ET as new episodes drop from December 1–12 to learn about the top scams you'd "better watch out" for this holiday season. Sharing the series with friends and family is the perfect way to help keep holiday spirits high and scammers out in the cold.

Subscribe here to watch the Scam-mas playlist and let Avast help guard your holiday cheer.

About Avast: Avast is a leader in digital security and privacy, and part of Gen (NASDAQ: GEN), a global company dedicated to powering Digital Freedom with a family of trusted consumer brands. Avast protects hundreds of millions of users from online threats, for Mobile, PC or Mac, and is top-ranked and certified by VB100, AV-Comparatives, AV-Test, SE Labs and others. Avast is a member of the Coalition Against Stalkerware, No More Ransom and Internet Watch Foundation. Learn more at Avast.com.

Jenna Torluemke
Gen
[email protected]

Cassie Boehmer
Edelman for Gen
[email protected]

SOURCE Gen Digital Inc.