Norton Report Reveals: 40% of Indians surveyed have been targeted by a scam when shopping online during the festive season
Norton, a global leader in consumer Cyber Safety, published Indian findings from a global study conducted online in August 2022 among 1,001 Indian adults aged 18+ by The Harris Poll on behalf of NortonLifeLock that explored attitudes towards Cyber Safety and online shopping during the festive season. The report highlights the importance of taking precautions with your personal information online. The findings reveal that all (100%) of those planning to shop during the 2022 festive season expect to do so online, with 61% saying that they expect to do more than half of their festive season shopping online.
The festive season is often a time when many people buy gifts for their family and friends. This holiday season, Indian adults surveyed expect tech-based gifts including smartphones (64%), smartwatches (55%), and smart home devices (47%) to be the most sought gifts. Though only a small minority of adults in India surveyed(8%) plan to buy fewer technology gifts this festive season compared to years past, over 4 in 5 of those planning to buy fewer tech gifts (84%) say this is due to concerns of rising costs of living and inflation. To help with inflation/the rising cost of living, most Indians surveyed (91%) are likely to take cost-cutting measures of some kind this festive season, which for some includes clicking on a questionable link offering them a good deal on technology products (36%) or a reduced energy bill (29%).
“Festivals bring friends and family together. Recently, there has been an increase in the number of online shoppers, and with that the rise in online shopping scams, gift card frauds, and postal delivery frauds. Our Norton report also suggests that many Indian adults surveyed who have fallen victim and been defrauded while online shopping has been impacted financially and have lost money as a result, the average loss of those surveyed being INR 6216. While some consumers are not strangers to threats and are taking preventative measures to protect themselves online, there is always room for improvement.,” said Ritesh Chopra, Norton Director India, and SAARC Countries at NortonLifeLock. He adds, “We at Norton are dedicated to protecting people’s data and devices and understanding their concerns when online shopping.”
Two-thirds of Indian adults surveyed are at least concerned about the following when shopping online during the holiday season:
- Their personal details being compromised (78%)
- Being defrauded by a third-party retailer (77%)
- Unintentionally receiving a counterfeit version of a gift (76%)
- A device they buy for someone else is digitally unsafe (75%)
- Their holiday travel arrangements or accommodations being ruined by a scammer (73%)
- Buying or receiving a refurbished device as a gift (72%)
- A device they receive as a gift being hacked (69%)
Spending time online offers an escape for many Indian adults during the festive season. Most Indian adults surveyed (78%) agree that spending time online via their connected devices helps them feel more connected during the festive season, and 74% say that it helps their mental well-being. In fact, 2 in 3 Indian adults (65%) say their mental well-being would suffer if they could not access their connected devices during the festive season. The study also shows that 95% of Indians plan to take at least one action to manage their mental health this festive season, most typically by spending time outdoors (54%), reading books (50%), and/or reconnecting with friends/family using social media (50%).
