Your Digital Peace Plan for the Holidays

Shop, Share & Celebrate Safely This Season

The Soft Life Is Still Possible During the Holiday Rush

The holidays bring joy, connection, travel, gifts, and…chaos.

More notifications, more purchases, more movement, more exposure.

But the soft life isn’t about escaping responsibility — it’s about creating a system that protects your peace.

That includes your money, your data, your family, and the way you show up online.

This season, digital boundaries matter more than ever.

Cybercriminals prey on the holiday rush: impulse buying, emotional spending, family distractions, and the pressure to “keep up”.

Your Digital Peace Plan is how you stay grounded, rather than frazzled.

Calm instead of reactive.

Protected instead of overwhelmed.

This is your guide to shop, share, scroll, and celebrate — safely, softly, intentionally.

Part 1 - Shop Safely

Holiday Scams Are Sneaky — Your Peace Doesn’t Have to Be

Here’s what spikes every November-January:

• Fake Amazon / UPS / USPS texts

• “Your order has been delayed, click here” links

• Fake retailer sites (especially high-ticket brands)

• Payment fraud

• Marketplace scams

• Charity scams

• Gift-card scams

• Compromised QR codes

• Too-good-to-be-true sales

Let’s break it down softly and calmly.

1. Fake Order Notifications

If you receive:

• “Your package failed to deliver”

• “Update your payment info”

• “Track your package here”

STOP.

Do NOT click.

Check instead:

The retailer app → Orders section

Your email → legit recipes

Your bank → charges

Red Flags:

• Strange domains

• Misspellings

• Urgency (“immediately”)

• Incorrect logos

2. Fake Deals or Fake Retailer Sites

Scammers create “pop-up” stores with huge discounts.

How to check:

• Search: “Is store name legit?”

• Look for: HTTPS lock icon

• Reverse image search the product

• Check the About page + shipping/returns (fake sites leave them vague)

Soft-Life Rule

If the price makes you blink twice, close the tab.

3. Marketplace Scams (FB Marketplace, OfferUp)

Common scams:

• Overpayment scam

• Deposit requests

• “Can I send you a code to verify you’re real?”

• Zelle scams

• Fake pickup agents

Peace-Protecting Practices:

• Only transact locally

• Never ship items to strangers

• Never accept verification codes

• Cash or secure payment only

4. Gift Card Scams

Scammers resell drained cards or trick you into buying cards as payment.

Rule:

Gift cards are gifts, not transactions.

5. Charity Scams

Heartstrings are targeted hardest during the holidays.

How to check a real charity:

• Use CharityNavigator or IRS.gov

• Donate through official sites only

• Don’t use links from social media DMs

Part 2 — Share Safely

Protect Your Moments Without Losing the Magic

Holiday posts are fun — family photos, matching PJs, travel moments, festive outings.

But they reveal more than you think.

Here’s how to share softly and safely.

1. Post AFTER the moment, not DURING the moment

Never tag your real-time location.

Never show your home front door, street, or house number.

Share memories, not coordinates.

2. Use Private Sharing Settings

• Instagram: Close friends or private profile

• Facebook: Friends Only

• Snapchat: Private Story

• TikTok: Private videos or Friends

Your peace is worth the click.

3. Protect Kids’ Identities

You don’t need to hide your life — you just need control.

Options:

• No faces

• Side/over-the-shoulder shots

• Emojis

• Pseudonyms

• Blur tools

This protects them from:

• Image scraping

• AI face cloning

• School location exposure

• Long-term digital footprint issues

4. Manage Your Digital Boundaries

• Mute unwanted DMs

• Limit comments

• Use keyword filters

• Block freely (SOFT does not mean ACCESSIBLE)

Part 3 — Travel Safely

Peace in Transit: Your Digital Soft Life on the Move

Whether you’re flying, driving, or staying with family, your digital exposure goes up.

1. Airport + Hotel Wi-Fi Safety

• Avoid logging into bank accounts

• Use the hotspot if possible

• TURN OFF auto-connect (iPhone + MacBooks + Android + Laptop)

• Don’t use random QR codes in airports

2. Device Safety While Traveling

• Turn on Find My Device

• Add a phone lock + FaceID

• Turn off Bluetooth when not in use

• Don’t charge in public USB ports (bring a USB data blocker)

3. Travel Scams

• Fake Airbnbs

• Fake rental car confirmations

• Fake “hotel desk” calls asking for your card

• Taxi QR scams

Rule: Call the official number — never trust the number someone texts you.

Part 4 — The Holiday Digital Peace Checklist

Save This. Screenshot This. Share This.

Before You Shop:

Before You Post:

Before You Travel:

For Your Peace:

Closing: The Soft Life Is Protected, Not Passive

Softness doesn’t mean defenseless.

Peace doesn’t mean naive.

Boundaries aren’t barriers — they’re containers for your calm.

This holiday season, protect your money, your moments, your travels, your family, and your peace.

Your soft life deserves strong security.

And your strong security can always be simple.

Audit your Holiday Digital Peace Plan today.

Follow @NetWatchMSP for your weekly cyber-wellness rituals.