Don't Let Scammers Steal Your Holiday Cheer: New Norton Report Reveals Nearly Half of U.S. Consumers Were Targeted by a Scam While Online Shopping

Norton's Cyber Safety Sunday Helps Shoppers Stay Safe Ahead of the Peak Holiday Shopping Season

TEMPE, Ariz. and PRAGUE, Oct. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Holiday shopping is in full swing, with over 60% of Americans ready to click "add to cart" for most of their purchases this holiday season. But it's not just shoppers gearing up – scammers are, too. Nearly half (48%) of U.S. consumers report being targeted by a scam while holiday shopping online, according to the 2024 Norton Cyber Safety Insights Report: Holiday. Additionally, more than half (53%) of Americans are worried about Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping scams. Norton, a consumer Cyber Safety brand of Gen (NASDAQ: GEN), encourages people to take time on Cyber Safety Sunday, December 1^st, to prepare to safely shop online this holiday season and bolster their defenses against cybercriminals and scammers.

'Tis the Season for Shopping and Scamming

Cyber Safety Sunday is observed the Sunday after Thanksgiving and is a day for shoppers to take proactive steps to prioritize their online safety ahead of shopping Cyber Week deals, booking holiday travel, and more. Nearly half of Americans (48%) will do most of their holiday shopping between Black Friday and Cyber Monday – making it not only the busiest time of the year for shoppers – but also scammers. Thirty percent of Americans say they have been targeted by a scam while holiday shopping online. Of the two fifths (43%) who fell victim, 30% report the scam happened on Black Friday, 11% on Cyber Monday and 30% on Christmas.

"The holidays can be a hectic time, and when we are busy or looking for ways to save money, sometimes we let our guard down," said Leyla Bilge for Norton. "This Cyber Safety Sunday, we encourage everyone to take a few simple steps that will go a long way to help you stay safe online this season. Stick to sites you trust, stay educated on common scams, update passwords, set fraud alerts and always think twice before sharing your personal information. Give yourself the gift of peace of mind knowing you're prepared."

Rising Concerns Over Cyber Grinches

Of the 90% of Americans buying gifts to spread holiday cheer, 60% will be clicking "add to cart" for most of their presents this season. While online shopping is fun and convenient, the rise in online crime has made shoppers feel less merry and more wary about their online safety. In fact, 62% are concerned about becoming victims of cybercrime this season, with 47% specifically worried about falling for a sophisticated holiday shopping scam. A look deeper into Norton's data reveals concerns rising from last year:

• 71% of US consumers are concerned about their personal details being compromised, up 8% YoY. 
• 59% are concerned about being scammed by a 3^rd party retailer, up 9% YoY. 
• 59% are concerned about AI shopping scams, up 11% YoY. 

Decking the Halls with Discounts

With the costs of many goods on the rise, everyone's looking to stretch their holiday budgets a little further, resulting in 87% of U.S. online shoppers spending extra time to look for discount codes. However, it is important to be aware of the information you offer to gain access to these deals, as it can lead to significant privacy risks.  When you enter personal details, such as your name, email or payment information to redeem a discount code, that data could fall into the wrong hands if the website is not secure. Some scammers also create fake promotions or clone legitimate retailer websites to trick consumers into submitting their information, which they can then use for identity theft, financial fraud or to sell on the dark web.

Norton discovered that two thirds (67%) of people have taken some action to receive a discount code. Of these deal seekers, 57% signed up for a mailing list, 39% answered a survey and 30% liked a post or posted on social media. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of people were willing to give personal information including their email (91%), phone number (52%) or home address (35%).

It's no coincidence that while shoppers are keen for discounts, malvertising and adware are the cyber threats that increase the most dramatically during the holiday season. During last year's holiday shopping season, Gen data reveals a 53% increase in malvertising attacks – malicious ads often seen by consumers when searching for something such as sales. Adware – malicious software often distributed via malvertising – increased by 227% over the same period.

To stay safe, try to find codes directly from the retailer and not third-party providers. Consider using an alternative email address that you don't typically use for daily, personal life. Products such as Norton AntiTrack can create these emails for you in a single click. Think twice: Is the discount worth potentially compromising your digital safety or identity?

Enlisting AI Holiday Helpers

Both retailers and consumers are using AI tools to help ease the stress of holiday shopping. Nearly a quarter of people (23%) have interacted with an AI chatbot or assistant and 43% have noticed AI-enhanced search results with personal recommendations while shopping.

While 36% of Americans say that AI recommendations are helpful and could enhance their online shopping experience, most shoppers are still resistant to AI. Fifty-seven percent of people say they would abandon their carts if they could only speak with a chatbot rather than a real customer service representative. Only 26% of shoppers trust AI to handle their personal information securely, and 37% who have interacted with an AI chatbot while holiday shopping online report receiving inaccurate information.

Sleighing Suspicious Social Media Ads

Despite general distrust in social media sites, shoppers continue to click on social ads to purchase holiday gifts. Thirty-seven percent of Americans have purchased a holiday gift from a social ad, with these buyers mainly purchasing through Facebook (60%), Instagram (48%) and TikTok (40%).

Clicking on social media ads can expose people to unnecessary risks such as phishing attacks, malware infections and privacy breaches. Fraudulent ads may lead to fake websites that steal personal information or payment details, and some may download harmful or malicious software onto your device. Despite these risks, 20% of people are still willing to click on a social media ad or email claiming to offer a gift—reminding us all that some "holiday deals" belong on the naughty list.

This Cyber Safety Sunday, take control of your Cyber Safety by using AI to spot scams. Norton Genie is an AI-powered app that provides a fast, easy and free way to check if a message, like an email offering a holiday discount, is a scam. Genie can also review social media links and other suspicious web links, such as those that direct people to track deliveries for holiday gifts, offer gift cards or steer people to fake third-party websites and confirm whether the information or offer is malicious.

Visit Norton.com this Cyber Safety Sunday and throughout the holidays to learn how you can prepare for a safe shopping season and find out about the top scams and more holiday shopping insights in the 2024 Norton Cyber Safety Insights Report: Holiday.

About the 2024 Norton Cyber Safety Insights Report: Holiday 

The study was conducted online within the United States by Dynata on behalf of Gen from August 30^th to September 11^th, 2024 among 1,000 adults ages 18 and older. Data is weighted where necessary by age, gender and region, to be nationally representative. 

About Norton

Norton is a leader in Cyber Safety, and part of Gen™ (NASDAQ: GEN), a global company dedicated to powering Digital Freedom with a family of trusted consumer brands. Norton empowers millions of individuals and families with award-winning protection for their devices, online privacy, and identity. Norton products and services are certified by independent testing organizations including AV-TEST, AV-Comparatives, and SE Labs. Norton is a founding member of the Coalition Against Stalkerware. Learn more at https://us.norton.com/.

Malea Lamb-Hall
Gen 
[email protected] 

Courtney Rowles
Edelman for Gen
[email protected]

SOURCE Norton