{"id":178046,"date":"2023-11-30T13:44:15","date_gmt":"2023-11-30T21:44:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?p=178046"},"modified":"2024-07-31T11:14:07","modified_gmt":"2024-07-31T18:14:07","slug":"look-out-for-the-cyber-grinch-how-to-shop-safely-this-holiday-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/internet-security\/look-out-for-the-cyber-grinch-how-to-shop-safely-this-holiday-season\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Shop Safely This Holiday Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yes, there is a Cyber Grinch. In fact, you\u2019ll find evidence of an entire host of grinches online \u2014 the cybercrooks who, with the help of AI, create millions of online scams that crop up just in time to spoil the holiday season. But you can still shop safely, with a sharp eye and the right tools at your side.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This time of year always sees a boost in scams. After all, where shoppers go, scammers follow. Research from our McAfee Labs team found that scam volume ramps up 30% above average this time of year, kicking off\u00a0in\u00a0November and carrying over into the first week of the new year.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To gain even more insight into the impact online scams have on consumers, we conducted our <\/span>inaugural Global Holiday Shopping Scams Study. More than 7,000 adults in seven countries told us how scams have impacted their holidays. They also shared their feelings about the recent onset of AI-driven scams.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The findings offer several significant insights, including the financial impact of scams, and even when and where people shop online (spoiler: that includes purchases made at the dinner table and in the bathtub).\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s dig into the findings. From there, we\u2019ll show you several ways you can stay safe while you shop online, so you can send those grinches packing.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Holiday scam findings for 2023<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

For starters, 36% <\/span>of Americans said they were a victim of an online shopping scam during the holiday season. That\u2019s more than one in three people, making it likely that you know someone who\u2019s been taken in. Of those who fell for holiday scams online, nearly half said it cost them $100 or more. Strikingly, one in four victims said it cost them $1,000 or more.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The top three online scams people reported include:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Text messages about purchases they didn\u2019t make (57%).<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Fake missed delivery or fake problem with delivery notifications (56%).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Bogus Amazon security alerts and notification messages about their account (43%).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    We looked at those figures more closely and found some trends that show some folks get tangled up in these scams more than others.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Comparing men and women, 65% of men said they <\/span>place<\/span> the same level of trust in shopping online as they do in person. Meanwhile, women appear to be a bit more discerning. Only 46% of women said they had the same level of trust. We then found that men were nearly twice as likely to fall for an online holiday scam (46%) than women (26%).\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    When looking across generations, we found that 64% of Gen Z and 77% of Millennials trust shopping online as much as in person. Likewise, they found themselves victimized by scams more often than older adults. Of the younger set, 49% of Gen Z and 65% of Millennials said they fell for a holiday scam. Compare that to only 12% of people over 50 saying the same thing.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    What\u2019s on the mind of holiday shoppers \u2026<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

    We also got some insight into people\u2019s headspace.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    People are as deal conscious as ever, with 1 out of 3 (35%) saying they will likely jump on a bargain when they see it. They also plan to shop around;\u202f85% of people said they will look for the best deal before buying their holiday gifts.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    It\u2019s no surprise that 63% planned to shop online during Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend. However, we found some surprises \u2014 namely, where they are when they shop online:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n