40% of Indians surveyed have been targeted by a scam when shopping online during the festive season

• Over 4 in 5 Indian adults surveyed (85%) admit to risking their personal information or privacy in several ways during the festive season.
• 74% of Indian adults surveyed say that spending time online via their connected devices helps their mental well-being during the holiday season.

India, Delhi – November 1, 2022 – Norton, a global leader in consumer Cyber Safety, from a global study conducted online in August 2022, published the Indian findings which states that 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 by Norton, highlights the importance of taking precautions with your personal data or information while doing activities online.

The findings from the Norton reports, 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.

Festive season is undoubtedly a time when many people buy gifts for their family and friends. On This festive-holiday season, according to the survey, the Indian adults surveyed expect tech-based gifts including smartphones (64%), smart watches (55%), and smart home devices (47%) to be the most right choice of gifts and only a very small minority of adults in India surveyed(8%) are planning to buy fewer technology gifts this festive season of 2022 as compared to years in past, over 4 in 5 of those are planning to buy less tech gifts (84%) states this is due to concerns of rising costs of living and inflation in the country.

Due to the high inflation & the continuously rising cost of living, most of tge Indians are surveyed (91%) are most likely to do the cost cutting measures of some kind this festive season, and unfortunately for some, these measures 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, postal delivery frauds. Our Norton report also suggests that many Indian adults surveyed who have fallen victim and been defrauded while online shopping have been impacted financially and have lost money as a result, their 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 concern 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 being 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%)

Surfing online sites offer an escape for many Indian adults during the festive season. Most Indian adults surveyed (78%) agree that surfing online via their connected devices helps them to 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%).

About the 2022 Norton Cyber Safety Insights Report: Special Release – Festive Season
The research was conducted online in India by The Harris Poll on behalf of NortonLifeLock among 1,001 adults aged 18+. The survey was conducted August 15 – September 1, 2022. Data are weighted where necessary by age, gender, region, and education to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population.

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