McAfee’s 2024 Global Holiday Shopping Scams Study Highlights Growing Concerns Over AI-Powered Scams, Including Deepfakes, Impacting Holiday Shoppers
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SAN JOSE, Calif.—Nov. 15, 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 78% of Americans believing cybercriminals ramp up their activity during the holidays and 88% saying AI is impacting the number and sophistication of online scams during the holiday season. The rise in scams is fueling this anxiety, with 59% of Americans saying they’re more concerned about being scammed online than they were at this time last year.
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 should be closely examined. Emails and texts from trusted brands are top drivers for holiday shopping – 57% of Americans rank emails and 34% rank texts among their biggest motivators. However, many may be taking unnecessary risks when opening these messages: only about half of shoppers consistently verify a message’s authenticity, while nearly 1 in 3 check only sometimes, and close to 1 in 5 never check at all, leaving them vulnerable to scams disguised as real deals.
It’s not just traditional scam messages that are evolving; AI-generated deepfakes now pose a threat, especially to younger shoppers. While 1 in 5 Americans (21%) have unknowingly paid for fake products endorsed by deepfake versions of celebrities, the impact is greater among Gen Z and Millennials, with 1 in 3 people aged 18-34 falling victim to a deepfake scam, compared to around 5% of shoppers aged 55 and up.
“The holidays are a season many look forward to – from consumers, to retailers, to cybercrooks.,” said Abhishek Karnik, Head of Threat Research 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
1. Scam Messages are Surging
Today, Americans are inundated with scam messages, many of which are AI-generated, and many are falling victim.
2. Chasing Deals Can Be Costly
With inflation driving up prices, 84% of Americans are on the hunt for the best holiday deals, but the rush for discounts could put them at risk.
3. Social Shoppers Face Evolving Risks
More than 100 million Americans are now shopping directly on social media, with platforms like Instagram and TikTok leading the charge in creating easy and accessible shopping experiences. While social shopping offers convenience, it also exposes consumers to new risks, especially as they shop while distracted – a significant risk, since just 59% of Americans feel confident they can identify deepfakes or AI-generated content on social media.
McAfee’s Tips for Safe Holiday Shopping
To stay safe this season, McAfee recommends that you:
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.
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