As Black Friday approaches, many American shoppers are gearing up to snag online deals while remaining vigilant against potential cyber scammers. According to a recent survey by cybersecurity company McAfee, a whopping 89% of Americans plan to shop online during the holiday season, with 65% intending to take advantage of Black Friday through Cyber Monday.
With inflation rates climbing and budgets tightening for many, experts anticipate an increased focus on finding bargains as the holiday season kicks off. This heightened desire for deals could potentially make online shoppers more susceptible to falling for fake offers on popular holiday items that seem too good to be true.
The survey findings align with this projection, revealing that 84% of Americans are prepared to intensify their deal-hunting efforts this year due to inflation, with 38% being more inclined to quickly seize what appears to be a good bargain. As Black Friday approaches, the volume of scam emails has surged significantly, with McAfee researchers reporting a nearly fivefold increase in unsolicited Black Friday emails and a more than tripled volume of Christmas-related emails.
On a positive note, consumers are increasingly recognizing the presence of scammers during the holiday season. A majority of those surveyed, 78%, believe that scammers are more active during this time, while 58% express a heightened awareness of the potential for fraudulent messages. This heightened alertness may stem from the fact that a considerable portion of Americans admit to falling victim to holiday scams, with 31% acknowledging being scammed while shopping during the holiday season, and 58% of these individuals reporting financial losses as a result.
Moreover, concerns regarding the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) tools on holiday scams are prevalent among consumers. The survey indicates that 88% of respondents believe that cybercriminals’ use of AI is influencing the frequency and sophistication of online scams during the holiday period. Nearly half, 45%, anticipate that this year’s scam emails and messages will be more convincing than ever, thanks to AI technology, while 38% foresee AI enabling cybercriminals to craft a greater number of highly persuasive deepfake scams.
McAfee’s survey, which polled 7,128 adults across the US, Australia, India, UK, France, Germany, and Japan, was conducted online earlier this month. As Americans gear up for the holiday shopping frenzy, it is crucial to remain vigilant, exercise caution while browsing for deals online, and stay informed about the latest tactics employed by scammers to protect oneself from falling victim to fraud.
