Holiday Collab Scams Creators Need to Watch Out For
Holiday Collab Scams Creators Need to Watch Out For
The holiday season is the Super Bowl of brand partnerships. Budgets open up, brands scramble for last-minute campaigns, and your inbox/DMs start blowing up with “collab” offers that sound too good to be true.
But here’s the tea amigos: scammers know this too. The holidays are prime hunting season for shady AF companies looking to take advantage of creators eager for opportunities. Between the glittery pitches and the “We’d love to work with you” DMs, it can be hard to tell what’s real and what’s a straight-up trap.
And trusssssst, I’ve seen it all…creators paying hundreds for “shipping,” hours of unpaid content in exchange for a $10 trinket, even entire campaigns that vanish the moment the creator delivers the content. THE SHADE.
So before you say yes to that next shiny “collab,” let’s break down the biggest holiday red flags you need to spot ASAP:
🚩 1. “Just pay shipping!”
Holiday collabs often promise “free” products if you cover shipping. But many of these brands are really just cashing in on inflated shipping fees or even worse, never shipping anything at all.
Example: A jewelry brand offering a “free” holiday necklace valued at $500 for $30 shipping. Turns out it retailed for $8 on Amazon… and dozens of creators never received a thing.
What to do instead? Legit partnerships cover all costs. Repeat after me : THEY COVER ALLLLL SHIPPPING COSSSTS.
🚩 2. Gifted collabs with cheap products
Gifted partnerships can be an entry point, but beware of lopsided “deals.” Around the holidays, you’ll see offers like: “We’ll send you a $12 ornament if you create a Reel, 3 IG stories, and give us usage rights forever.”
That’s not holiday cheer gurl, that’s straight up exploitation.
What to do instead? Put a dollar value on your time and content (unless it’s a brand you love, trust, and know will do good by you).
🚩 3. Generic mass emails starting with “Hello dear”
Brands (or scammers) copy-paste offers to hundreds of creators hoping someone bites especially during gifting season. These usually come from drop-shippers, fake ambassador programs, or shady agencies.
Red flags include:
No brand name or a super vague one
“DM us to collab” comments under your posts
Awkward phrasing or grammar (“Hello Dear Lady”)
What to do instead? If it smells spammy, it is! Mark as spam + delete. And remember, when you pitch brands, avoid this same mistake—personalize every single message.
The bottom line?
The holidays are supposed to be about joy, not getting played. As a creator, your time, talent, and content are gifts, so please don’t give them away to brands or scammers who don’t value them.
This season, protect your worth, set boundaries, and remember: a real partnership will never make you second-guess if it’s legit.
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XX Idalia