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 1st, 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 3rd 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 30th to
September 11th, 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
Press@GenDigital.com
Courtney Rowles
Edelman for Gen
Courtney.Rowles@Edelman.com
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SOURCE Norton