- 86% of Australians plan to shop online during this holiday shopping period, but more than 1 in 5 Australians have fallen victim to an online scam during the holiday season.
- 60% of those people lost money to a scam with more than 1 in 4 people losing more than $500, and 1 in 10 people losing more than $2,500.
- 58% of Australians say they receive the most scam messages via email, 27% via text, and 15% via social media.
- 68% of Australians say they are more concerned about deepfakes now than they were a year ago.
SYDNEY, Australia— 18 November 2024 — McAfee Corp., a global leader in online protection, today released findings from its 2024 Global Holiday Shopping Scams Study, revealing how AI-driven scams and deepfake technology are impacting holiday shoppers. The study shows how AI-powered scams – including deepfakes – are more sophisticated than ever this season, putting shoppers at higher risk of losing money and changing the way people approach their holiday shopping.
The study reveals that holiday shoppers are on high alert, with 90% of Australians saying the use of AI by cybercriminals is impacting the amount and types of online scams during the holiday season. The rise in scams is fuelling this anxiety, with 74% of Australians saying the use of AI by cybercriminals will change some of their online behaviour.
McAfee Labs research indicates these concerns have merit, highlighting a significant surge in unsolicited holiday shopping emails starting in early October. Black Friday emails alone saw a 495% increase from October to early November. Similarly, Christmas-related emails rose by 314% during the same period. This trend suggests that scam-related risks will continue to escalate throughout the holiday season, and consumers should stay aware.
In a world where scammers can use AI-powered tools to create realistic fakes, even messages that appear to be from trusted brands and individuals should be closely examined. Nearly 1 in 5 (19%) Australians have purchased or provided payment for something that either came from a celebrity or appeared endorsed by a celebrity, that then turned out to be a scam. Younger people are far more likely than older people to have done so, with more than 1 of 3 of people aged 18-24 (36%) and 29% of people 25-34 having had this experience.
It’s not just traditional scam messages that are evolving; AI-generated deepfakes now pose a threat, especially to younger shoppers. More than 2 of 3 (69%) Australians aren’t confident they could tell whether a voicemail or voice note was generated with artificial intelligence versus from the actual person, with 61% of Australians listed facilitating scams as one of the most concerning potential uses of deepfakes.
“The holidays are a season many look forward to – from consumers, to retailers, to cybercrooks.,” said Tyler McGee, Head of APAC at McAfee. “Using AI-powered tools, scammers can now more quickly and easily create near-perfect imitations of trusted brand messages, celebrity faces and voices, and websites. We’re urging people to stay cautious, think twice about deals that seem too good to be true, and use the best online tools to protect their information. With the latest AI-powered protection, keep your guard up, think before you click, and stay one step ahead to keep your holiday season merry and safe.”
Top Trends from the Global Holiday Shopping Scams Study
The impact of AI-powered scams
- 90% of Australians say the use of AI by cybercriminals is impacting the amount and types of online scams during the holiday season.
- 48% think scam emails and messages will be more believable than ever.
- 44% think it’ll be harder to tell what’s a real message from a retailer or delivery service.
- 40% think cybercriminals will create more, and more convincing, deepfake scams.
- 74% of Australians say the use of AI by cybercriminals will change some of their online behaviour.
- 58% of people say they will be more alert to the possibility of fake messages.
- 15% will shop online less because of how AI is helping cybercriminals.
- 7 of 10 (71%) Australians think cybercriminals are more prevalent during the holiday season.
- More than 1 in 5 Australians (22%) have fallen victim to an online scam during the holiday season.
- 60% of those people lost money to the scam.
- More than 1 in 4 people (27%) lost more than $500.
- 1 in 10 people (10%) lost more than $2,500.
- 58% of Australians say they receive the most scam messages via email, 27% via text, and 15% via social media.
- When asked about the types of scams they’ve seen:
- 69% said a “You’ve won a prize” message.
- 67% said fake missed delivery, or delivery problem, notification.
- 40% said information about a purchase the recipient didn’t make.
- 42% said an issue with their credit card or banking account needs immediate attention.
- 26% said fake job scam (offer of remote or other types of jobs that need to be filled quickly).
- 29% said Amazon security alert, or notification messages regarding account updates.
- 21% said what seems to be a romance scam (these usually start with a text message that first appears to be sent by mistake to strike up a conversation).
- 28% said Netflix (or a similar streaming service) subscription updates.
Navigating the holiday scamiverse
General
- Nearly 1 in 5 (19%) Australians have purchased or provided payment for something that either came from a celebrity or appeared endorsed by a celebrity, that then turned out to be a scam. Younger people are far more likely than older people to have done so:
- More than 1 of 3 of people aged 18-24 (36%) and 29% of people 25-34 have had this experience.
- 58% of Australians say they always check if email or text message discount/deals are from an authentic source. 33% say they sometimes do, and 8% say they never do.
Deepfakes
- 68% of Australians say they are more concerned about deepfakes now than they were a year ago. 28% say their level of concern remains the same. Just 3% say they are less concerned than they were 12 months ago.
- 58% of Australians are more concerned – particularly due to the rise in deepfake scams – about online shopping scams this holiday season vs. holiday season 2023. Just 5% are less concerned about the same.
- Nearly 1 in 5 Australians (17%) say they or someone they know has fallen victim to a deepfake shopping scam. People 18-24 were most likely to have done so (27%). 70% of Australians who fell victim to a deepfake shopping scam lost money to the scam. Of those who lost money:
- More than 1 of 4 (26%) lost more than $500
- More than 1 in 10 (15%) lost more than $1,000
- Just 54% of Australians feel confident they can spot deepfakes or AI generated content (like fake news, scams, etc.) on social media. People aged 18-34 are most likely to say they can do so, with 69% of people 18-24 and 63% of people 25-34 saying the same.
- More than 2 of 3 (69%) Australians aren’t confident they could tell whether a voicemail or voice note was generated with artificial intelligence versus from the actual person.
- 61% of Australians listed facilitating scams as one of the most concerning potential uses of deepfakes.
McAfee’s Tips for Safe Holiday Shopping
To stay safe this season, McAfee recommends that you:
- 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 that appear on text messages, social media, or web browsers, customers across all platforms can take advantage of the AI-driven technology behind Text Scam Detector 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 like McAfee+. 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. For those with an AI PC, take advantage of McAfee Deepfake Detector to alert you of deepfake audio within videos.
Survey Methodology
The survey, which focused on the topic of deepfakes, scam messages, and holiday shopping, was conducted online in November 2024. 7,128 adults, age 18+, In 7 countries (US, Australia, India, UK, France, Germany, Japan), participated in the study.
About McAfee
McAfee Corp. is a global leader in online protection for consumers. Focused on protecting people in an always-online world, McAfee’s solutions adapt to user needs, empowering individuals and families with secure, intuitive tools. For more information, visit www.mcafee.com.
Contact:
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