Experts in cybersecurity warn the next couple of weeks could see millions of scams flooding people's inboxes, as scammers use the period of Christmas to profit from the affluence of online shopping and possible discounts, says Metro.

This is why it's crucial for email users to be extra vigilant in the coming weeks, with more opportunities than ever for phishing emails or fake deals. In many cases, this could lead to the theft of personal information, or malware that gives criminals access to the devices.

"With another 10, million cyber-attacks expected to occur between Christmas Day and New Year's Day it's never more crucial to keep a skeptical eye over any deals during the holidays or unanticipated delivery or order information," said Vonny Gamot who is the head of EMEA at McAfee.

"Even when an message or email appears genuine, it's always best to get directly to the source, whether it's an online store or delivery service."

How to protect against phishing scams?

Online deals that are fake are frequent threats to watch out for, so if a deal seems too good to be real, be wary. One tip to consider is if you've received a deal for a particular company is to go directly to the retailer using an online search engine to see if you can find the identical deal. If not you might have stumbled across a fake webpage.

Other common scams include fake delivery notices. Keep a careful track of what you're expecting and when and note that you shouldn't ever think of paying to book another delivery time from reputable couriers. Be wary of entering your payment information if prompted in this way.

"Many scams are effective because the fraudster creates a false impression of urgency, or preys on an increased emotional state," continued Ms Gamot. "Pause before you rush to take action on any message you think threatens or is urgent especially if it comes from a shady or unreliable sender."