You'd Better Watch Out: Avast Launches Animated Series to Help People Outsmart "Scam-mas" Tricksters
Rhea-AI Summary
Avast (NASDAQ: GEN) launched a new animated YouTube series, "The Twelve Days of Scam-mas", to teach holiday scam awareness from December 1–12, 2025. Avast will publish a new one-minute episode each day at 2:00 p.m. PT / 5:00 p.m. ET, using festive stories and a character named Deceivus to illustrate common seasonal scams.
Gen researchers say attacks from fake online shopping sites more than doubled last holiday season and Gen blocked over 1.26 million fake ads; nearly one-third of Americans reported being targeted by a holiday scam. The series is based on Gen's threat intelligence and aims to make safety tips accessible for families to share and discuss.
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News Market Reaction
On the day this news was published, GEN declined 0.34%, reflecting a mild negative market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
GEN’s move of 1.44% occurred alongside mixed peer action: FFIV +2.49%, OKTA +1.46%, KSPI +1.37%, CHKP +0.54%, while GDDY declined 1.32%, suggesting stock-specific rather than broad sector momentum.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 09 | Cyber outlook report | Neutral | +1.1% | 2026 cybersecurity predictions highlighting AI, identity risks, and consumer safety tips. |
| Dec 05 | Marketing campaign | Neutral | +0.4% | Holiday giveaway campaign aimed at consumer engagement and short-term financial relief. |
| Dec 04 | Conference appearance | Neutral | +0.4% | CEO and CFO fireside chat at Barclays Global Technology Conference with webcast access. |
| Dec 02 | Product launch | Positive | -0.1% | Worldwide free availability of Norton Neo AI-native browser with cyber safety features. |
| Dec 01 | Brand/education push | Neutral | -0.3% | Launch of Avast "Scam-mas" animated series to promote holiday scam awareness. |
Recent news has produced modest, mostly positive single-day moves (between about -0.3% and +1.1%), indicating tempered market reactions to both product and thought-leadership announcements.
Over the past weeks, GEN has issued a series of product, thought-leadership, and branding updates. These include the Avast holiday scam-awareness series on Dec 1, 2025, the global free release of Norton Neo on Dec 2, 2025, a Barclays technology conference appearance announcement on Dec 4, 2025, and 2026 cybersecurity predictions from Gen Threat Labs on Dec 9, 2025. Single-day price reactions around these events stayed modest, suggesting steady sentiment toward GEN’s ongoing brand and platform initiatives.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement highlights GEN’s use of Avast’s Scam‑mas series to raise holiday scam awareness from December 1–12, 2025 with daily one‑minute episodes. It draws on Gen’s data showing over 1.26 million fake ads blocked and nearly one‑third of Americans targeted by holiday scams. In context with recent browser and cyber‑safety initiatives, this underscores a consumer-education focus. Observers may watch engagement with the series and how it supports GEN’s broader brand positioning.
Key Terms
threat intelligence technical
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
New animated YouTube series "The Twelve Days of Scam-mas" makes learning about holiday scams fun, fast and festive
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
Press@GenDigital.com
Cassie Boehmer
Edelman for Gen
cassie.boehmer@edelman.com
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SOURCE Gen Digital Inc.
FAQ
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