46% of Aussies would opt to get a one-time root canal, rather than face a year of scam messages
- Global study reveals consumer overwhelm, caused by the onslaught of increasingly believable text, email, and social media scams amid a rising AI-powered scam surge
- People receive an average of nearly 8 fake messages or scams daily, via email, text, or social media
- The average Australian spends 63 minutes each week reviewing, verifying, or deciding whether a message sent through text, email or social media is real or fake, equating to more than one standard work week (54.6 hours) per year
Sydney, Australia, November 14, 2023—McAfee Corp., a global leader in online protection, today released its first-ever Global Scam Message Study. The study surveyed more than 7,000 adults in seven countries to understand how scam messages, and the increased scam sophistication brought about by artificial intelligence (AI), have impacted the lives of consumers worldwide.
This study reveals that Aussies receive an average of more than 8 (8.3) fake messages or scams each day, including an average of 3.8 via email, 2.5 via text, and 2.0 fake messages via social media.
Interestingly, 54% of Aussies have believed one or more fake messages. Of the people who experienced financial losses as the result of a scam message, 14% lost more than $100.
AI is a scammer’s favorite tool, helping cybercriminals increase the scale, sophistication and speed of phishing and text message scams: a new phishing site is created every 11 seconds. This spotlights the increasing need for solutions that turn the tables on AI scammers; there has never been a more critical time for the country’s 25.3 million internet users to protect themselves online.
"Amidst the surge of cyberscams, it's not astounding to see that Aussies would rather get a root canal than deal with the headache that comes with being a victim of identity theft," said Tyler McGee, Head of APAC, at McAfee. "Interestingly, 44% of Aussies believe it is easier to solve the Rubik’s cube than it is to tell real from fake messages these days, thanks to artificial intelligence making scams more believable. This flood of fraudulent communications not only consumes Australians' time and resources but also poses significant security risks. At McAfee, we are dedicated to delivering comprehensive solutions that ensure a safer and more enjoyable online experience for every Australian.”
The 2023 McAfee Scam Message Study
McAfee’s research revealed four key insights about online scams and spotlighted the increased stress people are facing as AI drives an increase in the number and sophistication of scam messages, along with the need for an AI-driven solution to the problem. The survey results are detailed below.
Today’s scam messages are cleverly camouflaged
While 2 out of 3 Aussies surveyed (67%) feel that it’s easy to spot when a text, email, or social media message is a scam, that number is likely to shrink significantly; 33% of survey respondents think it has become harder to identify scam messages, attributing this trend to hackers using AI to make their scams more believable. Further, 42% of people said that scam messages no longer have typos or errors, and are very believable as a result, and that scam messages are harder to identify because they are often very personal.
This sophisticated trickery takes five common forms. The below numbers indicate the percentage of Australian survey respondents who’ve received each type of message in the past year:
- “You’ve won a prize!” – 69%
- Information about a purchase the recipient didn’t make – 65%
- Fake missed delivery, or delivery problem, notification – 77%
- Amazon security alert, or notification messages regarding account updates – 49%
- Netflix (or a similar streaming service) subscription updates – 52%
People are drowning in a scam message sea
A 2022 survey commissioned by the Australian Communications and Media Authority uncovered that Australians are facing a deluge of unsolicited calls and texts, with 98 percent reporting receiving such communication, primarily composed of scams and business marketing, prompting a widespread desire for increased control over their received communications. The average Aussie spends 63 minutes each week reviewing, verifying, or deciding whether a message sent through text, email, social media is real or fake. This amounts to more than one standard work week (54.6 hours) per year, spent on scam-spotting. More specifically:
- Email: 93% of Aussie surveyed indicate that they receive fake messages or scams via email on a daily basis. 28% receive 5 or more fake email messages each day.
- Text: 90% of Aussie survey respondents indicate that they receive fake messages or scams via text each day. 14% receive 5 or more fake text messages each day.
- Social Media: 62% of the people surveyed indicate that they receive fake messages or scams via social media every day. 14% receive 5 or more of these social media scams daily.
To click, or not to click, is a potentially complicated question
With the increased volume and more advanced appearance of scam messages, just 46% of Aussies have not clicked or fallen for fake messages in the last 12 months. Of those who have = believed one or more fake messages, the most believed messages are:
- “You’ve won a prize!” – 16%
- Fake missed delivery, or delivery problem, notification – 19%
- Information about a purchase the recipient didn’t make – 14%
- Bank alert messages – 13%
Engaging with scam messages can be costly and stressful. Fortunately, 72% of Aussies who clicked on a scam message did not lose any money as a result. Regardless, the people surveyed indicated they would prefer the following painful or scary experiences over dealing with online scam texts and messages throughout the year:
- A one-time root canal – 46%
- 24-hour food poisoning – 36%
- Doing taxes every month – 54%
- Sleep in a haunted house for one night – 47%
An AI ally is needed as scam stakes rise and online trust sinks
As the number of AI-powered scams continues to rise, 47% of Australia survey respondents say their trust in digital communications has decreased. This trend is largely due to a lack of depth in digital defense knowledge: 36% of people say they don’t know if they are doing the right things to protect themselves. People manage this knowledge gap in different ways:
- 34% of people ignore an email, when they receive an email or text that they think might be a scam
- 41% block the sender when they receive this type of message
- 20% report suspected scam messages
However, people do believe in new, AI-driven tools and resources to fight fraudsters: 47% of Aussies say they’d trust a solution or feature that uses AI to detect online scams, and 28% believe we need AI to beat AI.
How to Protect Yourself from Scam Messages
- Think before you click. Cybercriminals use phishing emails or fake sites to lure people into clicking links that could lead to malware. If you receive an email asking you to click on a link, even if it’s a great-sounding deal or indicates it’ll provide useful information, it’s best to avoid interacting with the message altogether. Always go direct to the source and interact with reputable companies.
- Remember that if it seems to good to be true, it probably is. Many scams are effective because the scammer creates a false sense of urgency or preys on a heightened emotional state. Pause before you rush to interact with any message that is threatening or urgent, especially if it is from an unknown or unlikely sender.
- 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 McAfee Scam Protection to engage with text messages, read emails, and browse the web peacefully and securely.
About McAfee
McAfee Corp. is a global leader in online protection for consumers. Focused on protecting people, not just devices, McAfee’s consumer solutions adapt to users’ needs in an always online world, empowering them to live securely through integrated, intuitive solutions that protect their families, communities, and businesses with the right security at the right moment. For more information, please visit https://www.mcafee.com
