By Falaknaaz Syed

Copyright deccanchronicle

Mumbai: The festive season is a time of joy and giving, but it has also become a target for scammers, with one in three Indians falling victim to online scams and 37 per cent of them losing money, revealed McAfee’s 2025 Festive Season Research released on Friday. The study highlighted growing concerns around AI-driven scams, deepfake celebrity endorsements, and fake e-commerce sites exploiting festive excitement. Around 91 per cent of those surveyed reported receiving suspicious shopping-related messages, with common ploys including fake “gift card wins,” “limited-time offers,” and “refund notifications.” Deepfake celebrity endorsements are on the rise, with 69 per cent of consumers encountering such scams during holiday sales, found the survey. As high as 72 per cent of Indians fear AI-powered scams during this festive shopping season more than last year, as cybercriminals use deepfakes and social media bots to deceive shoppers. Indians encounter an average of 12 scam attempts every day across text, email, and social media platforms – including during the festive shopping rush. Pratim Mukherjee, Senior Director of Engineering, McAfee, commented, “As technology evolves, so do the threats, with AI-driven scams creating new risks for online shoppers. By taking simple steps like checking websites, securing devices, and staying alert, we can outpace bad actors and ensure the spirit of the season remains untarnished.” Festive shopping in India is shifting online, with e-commerce now the preferred way to shop during the festive season because of better discounts (64 per cent), convenience (60 per cent), more variety (52 per cent), and faster delivery (51 per cent). This shift also highlights the growing reliance on mobile-first consumption, with 77 per cent of shoppers now making purchases via smartphones. Younger consumers aged 25–44 have emerged as the heaviest users of online platforms overall, fuelling India’s digital shopping boom. Around 69 per cent of Indians said that they or someone they know has encountered scams involving deepfake content or fake celebrity endorsements during holiday sales, tricking shoppers into fraudulent transactions or sharing sensitive information. The impact of these scams extends beyond financial losses. Among those scammed, 91 per cent reported feelings of anger, anxiety, or embarrassment, yet 28 per cent rarely shared their experiences publicly due to shame. These emotional scars highlight the toll of cybercrime and the urgent need for greater consumer awareness and safeguards. In response to these risks, 98 per cent of Indians plan to adopt proactive measures to protect themselves, including shopping on trusted websites (55 per cent), using strong passwords (53 per cent), and verifying suspicious communications directly with retailers. Tips for Safe Festive Shopping: Verify before you trust – Retailers are unlikely to call you about suspicious activity or unauthorized purchases. Always go directly to the source to check your account instead of trusting links in messages or unsolicited phone calls. Protect your shopping experience – Turn on two-factor authentication for extra account protection, use strong, unique passwords, shop only on secure websites (look for “https://” and the padlock icon), monitor your bank, payment wallet, and credit card statements for unusual charges, and go straight to the retailer’s site or app instead of clicking text or email links you’re not sure about. Watch for red flags – If a message pressures you to act fast, demands payment through gift cards, payment wallets or wire transfers, asks for personal info, or insists you stay on the line or keep quiet, hit pause. These are classic scam signals. Taking a moment to think can be the difference between scoring a deal and walking into disaster. Use AI-powered scam protection – Use trusted tools like scam detectors that spot and flag suspicious links and scams before they can do harm.