A recently published report revealed that an average Indian citizen receives approximately 12 counterfeit messages or fraudulent schemes via email, text, or social media each day. These deceptive messages consume around 1.8 hours of their week as they attempt to confirm their authenticity.
The study, McAfee’s inaugural ‘Global Scam Message’ investigation, uncovered alarming statistics, with roughly 82 percent of surveyed Indians having either clicked on or fallen victim to bogus messages. Even more concerning is that 49 percent of respondents noted that these scam messages are now meticulously crafted, often lacking typos or errors, making them highly convincing and challenging to discern.
Phishing attacks are on the rise.
Among the most prevalent forms of sophisticated deception, most Indian consumers reported succumbing to fake job notifications or offers (64 percent) and bank alert messages (52 percent). On average, a new phishing site in India pops up every 11 seconds.
The extensive study encompassed over 7,000 adults across seven countries, including India, aiming to assess the impact of scam messages and the growing sophistication empowered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) on consumers worldwide.
Roma Majumder, SVP of Product at McAfee, expressed, “It’s truly a sign of the times that most Indian consumers would rather subject themselves to the pain and distress of a root canal than be subjected to scam texts and messages throughout the year. Thanks to AI, it can be tough to know whether that delivery text message or bank alert notification is real. So much so that 73 percent of Indians believe they have a better shot at solving the Rubik’s cube than identifying a scam message.”
The most common kinds of scams
Approximately 60 percent of Indian respondents believe that identifying scam messages has become more challenging, attributing this trend to hackers leveraging AI to enhance the credibility of their scams.
The report also highlighted that about 90 percent of Indians receive fake messages or scams through email and text daily, while 84 percent report the same on social media platforms.
Here are some of the messages that people easily fall for:
- You’ve won a prize! – 72 per cent
- Fake job notifications or offers – 64 percent
- Bank alert message– 52 percent
- Information about a purchase the recipient didn’t make – 37 percent
- Netflix (or similar) subscription updates – 35 percent
- Fake missed delivery, or delivery problem, notification – 29 percent
- Amazon security alert or notification messages regarding account updates – 27 percent
- Fake missed delivery, or delivery problem, notification – 23 percent
- Information about a purchase the recipient didn’t make – 24 percent
- Sign-in and location verification messages – 24 percent
AI to the rescue
In the face of an escalating threat of AI-powered scams and a simultaneous erosion of online trust, there is an imperative for the adoption of an AI ally. This indispensable ally can effectively combat the growing menace of digital deception.
Recent surveys in India have revealed a disturbing trend: 37 percent of respondents have seen their trust in digital communications diminish. This decline in trust can largely be attributed to a prevailing lack of expertise in digital defense mechanisms. Many individuals in India still need to determine whether they are taking adequate measures to safeguard themselves in the digital realm.
In response to this knowledge gap, people have developed various coping strategies:
- Approximately 28 percent disregard suspicious emails or text messages, erring on the side of caution.
- Another 28 percent take a proactive approach by blocking the sender of messages they suspect are fraudulent. A significant 31 percent report messages that arouse suspicion to protect others from scams.
However, amidst these challenges, there is a growing belief in the potential of new AI-driven tools and resources to counteract fraudsters. An impressive 88 percent of the Indian population is willing to place their trust in solutions or features that leverage AI to detect online scams. Moreover, 59 percent of individuals recognize the necessity of AI as the weapon of choice in the battle against AI-driven deception.
