Australians worried they’ll be scammed this Christmas, according to Norton’s latest report

Australians are deeply concerned about the security of their personal information according to the latest Norton Cyber Safety Insights report with seven out of 10 worried their details may be compromised this holiday season.

As the holiday season approaches, Norton’s report is designed to help customers understand the dangers they may face during this period.

More than 1000 Australians were interviewed for the report and more than half (55 per cent) are concerned about AI shopping scams while three in 10 (28 per cent) are uncertain about their ability to stay safe while shopping online.

“As cybercriminals take advantage of the increasing number of consumers doing the majority of their shopping online, it’s understandable Australians are growing concerned about being scammed while shopping online,” said Mark Gorrie, Managing Director APAC, Norton.

“It’s crucial for shoppers to remain vigilant as scams, and the many forms they come in can be hard to keep up with.”

In previous years more than one in four Australians have been targeted by scams and this danger has been heightened with the growth of new AI tools which pose potentially even more threats when shopping online.

Another growing fear for more than half of the country (58 per cent) is about older Australians being fooled with suspicious emails or text scams offering Christmas sales and bargain deals.

Scams are usually more prominent during the holiday season according to two out of three of those surveyed compared to other times of the year.

For those that were targeted by scams, 37 per cent found themselves becoming victims through social media which is now surpassing traditional scam methods including texts 27 per cent, and email (31 per cent) which illustrates how these schemes have evolved.

And alarmingly, the average loss is more than $1000 with some losing as much as $50,000.

“Phishing scams are ever evolving and come in many diverse forms, posing a significant challenge for Australians to stay ahead of,” added Gorrie.

“We’ve observed a shift from the classic email with suspicious links to more sophisticated and inventive tactics.

“Norton Secure Browser, offers a free browser equipped with essential cybersecurity features.

“It safeguards your online activities, ensuring they remain private, while also providing defense against malicious websites and phishing attempts.

“On the flip side, AI also presents an opportunity to strengthen cybersecurity defenses.

“Norton recently introduced Genie; a free, easy to use AI advisor designed to empower Australians in staying one step ahead of increasingly convincing scams.

“It makes sense that we would look for methods to use AI to help detect these increasingly sophisticated scams given that cybercriminals have leapt on the opportunity to make their schemes more sophisticated and believable.”