Festive shopping rife with online theft and scams: Norton

Bengaluru: Festivities in the country bring with them heightened consumerism, as brands and retailers try to push sales through discounts, sales and free gifts. Inevitably, a number of bad actors slip into the mix, leveraging the festive fervor and hunt for offers to scam online shoppers. In fact, the average amount lost to holiday shopping scams is over Rs 20,000, according to a survey by cybersecurity firm Norton.

The company in a survey last year had found that 62 per cent Indians faced such theft during festive season shopping. However, this number was not made public this year.

In 2023, the report found that 81% of Indians feel they are not adequately informed on how to safeguard themselves from scams and would prefer to be better informed.

However, holiday shoppers continue to indulge in risky behavior to secure the best discounts.

Out of the surveyed participants, 19% were willing to purchase holiday-gifts from a questionable website, 31% were willing to shop from a questionable third-party and a further 18% were open to buying coveted-items on the dark web.

Moreover, 37% Indians are also open to the idea of sharing personal and financial information with unverified and third party sources on promise of discounts and free gifts in return, even as they are willing to pay up to Rs 4,000 above market value for a high demand product, as per the report.

“The digital landscape offers fantastic deals and convenience, but it also presents potential risks. By taking precautions, such as using trusted security software and verifying the authenticity of websites and sellers, we can enjoy the festive season with peace of mind,” said Ritesh Chopra, Norton’s director of sales and field marketing, India and SAARC countries.

The survey also found heightened suspicion among Indian online shoppers, who are now taking more precautions to avoid being scammed. A substantial number of participants reported taking steps such as checking an online sellers’ rating and social media presence before making a purchase to ensure quality and authenticity.

To protect financial information, participants also said they investigate the digital security of devices, prefer making payments through third-party providers and avoid making purchases on public or unsecured Wi-Fi networks.