Beware Of 99% Discount: Scammers Use Amazon, Flipkart Lookalikes To Target Shoppers, Warns McAfee

Last Updated: November 24, 2024, 12:43 IST

McAfee’s Festive Shopping Survey discovered that 74% of Indians think cybercriminals are extra widespread throughout the joyful period,

As the lively lights of Diwali dark and the joyful period ends, it’s time to review the wondrous events and the much less pleasant truth of on-line frauds that targeted joyful buyers. This year, McAfee, a worldwide leader in on-line defense, discovered a troubling fad: a substantial surge in on-line frauds affecting customers throughout the joyful buying thrill from October 1 via October 28.

McAfee’s Global Festive Shopping Survey discovered that 66% of Indians strategy to do even more on-line buying this year than in 2015. Of those individuals, 68% record locating far better price cuts and supplies online and 60% claim on-line buying was less complicated and faster than in-store buying.

However, the comfort and possible price cuts related to on-line buying might come with a cost. McAfee’s Labs group exposed a substantial surge in on-line frauds targeted at joyful buyers in India, noting this period as a prime possibility for cybercriminals.

Phishing and Malicious Links: McAfee’s Labs group evaluated over 800 unwanted, festive-related e-mails. The quantity of these e-mails surged on Fridays and Saturdays, lining up with a pattern of boosted fraud task at the end of every week– and recommending that scam-related threats exist throughout the joyful period and customers need to remain mindful.

Protection Efforts: The McAfee Labs group additionally reported safeguarding clients versus 24,000 dubious or destructive Links throughout the joyful period. Consumer communications with these destructive web links surged substantially in the leadup to vital occasions– as an example, the days prior to Durga Ashtami and Diwali– indicating smart fraudsters targeting individuals throughout optimal buying home windows.

Too Good to be True: Many of these destructive web links impersonated as legit buying websites like Flipkart or Amazon, advertising doubtful price cuts of approximately 99%.

“Diwali is an unique season that numerous expect– from customers to stores, to cybercrooks, stated Pratim Mukherjee, Senior Director of Engineering at McAfee.

“With AI-powered devices, fraudsters can currently quicker and quickly produce unbelievably reasonable phony star recommendations and near-perfect replicas of relied on brand name messages and internet sites. We’re advising individuals to remain careful, reconsider bargains that appear as well great to be real, and make use of the very best online devices to shield their info.”

Festive Consumer Behaviour

The festive season drives a shift in consumer behaviour, with many Indians adjusting their shopping habits in response to inflation, the hunt for deals, and increased social media influence. This also leads to increased concerns about scams and cybercrime, shaping festive shopping patterns in India.

• 95% of Indians, in light of inflation, plan to engage in related deal-seeking festive shopping behaviours.
• 90% said they’d consider starting festive shopping earlier than normal to find the best possible deals.
• 41% said they were more likely to jump on a good deal immediately when they saw it.

Impact of AI on Festive Scams

McAfee’s Festive Shopping Survey found that 74% of Indians believe cybercriminals are more prevalent during the festive season, making the period especially risky and stressful for online shoppers, especially as AI-driven digital scams become increasingly common.

• 84% of Indians are more concerned about deepfakes now than they were a year ago.
• 39% of Indians say they encounter the most fake messages via email, followed by
• 31% through text and 30% on social media.

When asked about the types of scam messages they’ve received:

• 30% mentioned messages about purchases they didn’t make.
• 37% reported fake missed delivery or delivery problem notifications.
• 24% saw security alerts from popular e-commerce platforms or notifications regarding account updates.
• 43% received messages about urgent issues with their credit card or banking account.

Social Media Influence

A significant percentage of Indian shoppers say their purchasing decisions are influenced by social media and celebrity endorsements. Scammers are increasingly exploiting this trend, to deceive consumers.

• Nearly half (47%) of Indians say they or someone they know has purchased or provided payment for something that either came from a celebrity or appeared endorsed by a celebrity, which then turned out to be a scam.
• 31% of Indians are likely to purchase from a new retailer found via social media if the deal is appealing.

McAfee’s Tips for Safe Festive Shopping

To stay safe this season, McAfee recommends consumers:

Think before you click.  If you receive an email or text message asking you to click on a link, even if it’s a great-sounding deal or indicates it’ll provide useful information such as a package delivery update, it’s best to avoid interacting with the message altogether. Always go directly to the source and interact with reputable companies.

Use AI to beat AI. From blocking dangerous links in text messages, social media, or web browsers, if clicked, customers across all platforms can take advantage of AI-driven technology to engage with text messages, read emails, and browse the web peacefully and securely.

Detect deepfakes. Look for slight inconsistencies in content. Is there unnatural blinking, odd eye movements, or unusual-looking hands or teeth? Does the audio not quite match the speaker’s lips or have a distorted quality?

Invest in holistic online protection. Use products that provide maximum identity, privacy, and device protection. Help keep yourself and your family safe online with protection that detects and protects against suspicious links and sites (even those that promise to bring the latest in celebrity news!), so you can browse online with greater confidence.

Study Methodology

The survey, which focused on the topic of deepfakes, scam messages, and festive shopping, was conducted online in November 2024. 7,128 adults, aged 18+, in 7 countries (US, Australia, India, UK, France, Germany, Japan), participated in the study.