- Nearly 1 of 3 Indians have fallen victim to scams during the holiday season, with 37% losing money.
- 91% of Indians report receiving suspicious shopping-related messages, with common ploys including fake “gift card wins” (49%), “limited-time deals” (40%), and “refund scams” (27%).
- Deepfake celebrity endorsements are on the rise, with 69% of consumers encountering such scams during holiday sales.
- Indians encounter an average of 12 scam attempts every day across text, email, and social media platforms – including during the festive shopping rush.
India, 10th October 2025- McAfee, a global leader in online protection, warns that cybercriminals are stepping up their efforts to scam festive season shoppers. As Indians prepare for Diwali, new McAfee consumer research reveals that nearly one in three Indians have fallen victim to holiday scams, with 37% losing money- underscoring how threats like deepfake celebrity endorsements, phishing texts, scam emails, and one-time password (OTP) scams are exploiting consumers’ enthusiasm for festive season deals.
Festive Shopping: Convenience Redefined, Risks Intensified
Festive shopping in India is shifting online, with e-commerce now the preferred way to shop during the festive season because of better discounts (64%), convenience (60%), more variety (52%), and faster delivery (51%). This shift also highlights the growing reliance on mobile-first consumption, with 77% of shoppers now making purchases via smartphones. Younger consumers aged 25–44 have emerged as the heaviest users of online platforms overall, fuelling India’s digital shopping boom.
The Rise of Scams Amid Festive Sales
Alongside this digital momentum, shoppers face a familiar seasonal risk: scammers who try to exploit holiday demand. In fact, 96% of Indians express deep concern about online scams, and for good reason:
- 72% are more concerned about AI-driven scams than they were last year
- 91% report receiving suspicious shopping-related messages, including fake ‘gift card wins’ (49%), ‘limited-time offers’ (40%), and ‘refund notifications’ (27%)
On average, Indians face 12 scam attempts per day, spanning text messages (3), phishing emails (4), and fraudulent social media ads (5). Particularly concerning are deepfake celebrity endorsements and fake e-commerce websites, making it harder than ever to distinguish real from fake.
Pratim Mukherjee, Senior Director of Engineering, McAfee commented, “The festive season is a time of joy and giving, but it has also become a target for scammers. As technology evolves, so do the threats, with AI-driven scams creating new risks for online shoppers. It’s about more than just being careful — it’s about giving people the confidence to shop smarter and safer. By taking simple steps like checking websites, securing devices, and staying alert, we can outpace bad actors and ensure the spirit of the season remains untarnished.”
Common Scams Targeting Indian Shoppers
- Deepfake Scams: 69% of Indians say they or someone they know has encountered scams involving deepfake content or fake celebrity endorsements during holiday sales, tricking shoppers into fraudulent transactions or sharing sensitive information.
- Fake Websites & Phishing Texts: Thousands of fake e-commerce sites and scam messages (e.g., refund notices or delivery updates) use urgency to lure victims into clicking malicious links.
- OTP Scams: Fraudsters pose as delivery agents or customer service reps to request OTPs, gaining access to accounts and enabling unauthorized transactions.
- AI-Powered Social Media Bots: Bots impersonate real users to spread scam messages, fake reviews, or misleading posts, influencing shopper decisions.
- AI-Driven Investment Scams: Fake investment platforms and market data trick shoppers into investing in fraudulent crypto or stocks.
- Voice Assistant Exploitations: Scammers hack voice assistants to make unauthorized purchases or send messages without user consent.
Emotional Fallout and Consumer Resilience
The impact of these scams extends beyond financial losses. Among those scammed, 91% reported feelings of anger, anxiety, or embarrassment, yet 28% rarely share their experiences publicly due to shame. These emotional scars highlight the toll of cybercrime and the urgent need for greater consumer awareness and safeguards.
In response to these risks, 98% of Indians plan to adopt proactive measures to protect themselves, including shopping on trusted websites (55%), using strong passwords (53%), and verifying suspicious communications directly with retailers.
McAfee’s Tips for Safe Festive Shopping
To stay safe this season, McAfee recommends consumers:
- Verify before you trust. Retailers are unlikely to call you about suspicious activity or unauthorized purchases. Always go directly to the source to check your account instead of trusting links in messages or unsolicited phone calls.
- Protect your shopping experience. Turn on two-factor authentication for extra account protection, use strong, unique passwords, shop only on secure websites (look for “https://” and the padlock icon), monitor your bank, payment wallet, and credit card statements for unusual charges, and go straight to the retailer’s site or app instead of clicking text or email links you’re not sure about.
- Watch for red flags. If a message pressures you to act fast, demands payment through gift cards, payment wallet or wire transfers, asks for personal info, or insists you stay on the line or keep quiet, hit pause. These are classic scam signals. Taking a moment to think can be the difference between scoring a deal and walking into disaster.
- Use AI-powered scam protection. Use trusted tools like McAfee’s Scam Detector, that spot and flag suspicious links and scams before they can do harm.
- Trust your instincts. If something feels off, or too good to be true, it probably is.
For more festive safety tips and details on McAfee’s online protection solutions, visit www.mcafee.com.
Research Methodology
A McAfee survey, which focused on the topic of scams and the impact of these scams on consumers, was conducted online in August 2025. 8,600 adults in Australia, France, Germany, India, Japan, and the US and UK, age 18+, participated in the study.
