As the Diwali celebrations come to an end, a troubling trend has emerged: a sharp rise in online scams aimed at festive shoppers. McAfee, a global leader in online protection, has uncovered a significant increase in cybercrime activities targeting consumers during the peak shopping period from October 1 to October 28.
According to McAfee’s Global Festive Shopping Survey, 66% of Indians planned to increase their online shopping this year compared to last year. While 68% of respondents cited better discounts and offers online, and 60% found online shopping more convenient than in-store shopping, the benefits of digital retail come with added risks. The surge in online shopping has made this festive season a prime opportunity for cybercriminals.
McAfee’s Labs team analysed over 800 unsolicited, festive-related emails, noting a significant spike in scam activity on Fridays and Saturdays, with increased risks towards the end of the week. This pattern suggests that cybercriminals are active throughout the festive season, taking advantage of consumer shopping behaviour.
The team also reported blocking 24,000 suspicious or malicious URLs during this period, with interactions spiking before key events like Durga Ashtami and Diwali. Scammers targeted peak shopping times, using fake links that appeared to lead to popular e-commerce sites like Flipkart and Amazon, offering discounts of up to 99%, too good to be true for most shoppers.
AI-driven scams
Scammers are now able to create highly realistic fake celebrity endorsements and imitate trusted brand messages and websites with alarming accuracy. Mukherjee urged consumers to be cautious and use the best online security tools to protect their personal information.
The festive season has also led to a shift in consumer behavior, with 95% of Indians adjusting their shopping habits due to inflation and the hunt for deals. Many shoppers are starting their festive shopping earlier, with 41% more likely to act quickly when they spot a good deal.
However, the survey also revealed that 74% of Indians believe cybercriminals are more prevalent during the festive season, making online shopping particularly risky. Consumers are increasingly concerned about AI-driven digital scams, with 84% reporting greater concern over deepfakes compared to the previous year.
The survey also uncovered the types of scam messages that consumers are encountering, with 43% reporting urgent issues related to their credit cards or bank accounts, and 37% seeing fake delivery problem notifications.
Social media’s influence on purchasing decisions has also been exploited by scammers. Nearly half (47%) of Indians reported knowing someone who had fallen victim to a scam involving a celebrity endorsement. In addition, 31% of respondents said they were likely to make a purchase from a new retailer found on social media if the deal seemed appealing.>
