12 Fake Messages and Emails a Day: India’s Scam Crisis Unveiled by McAfee
A recent study by McAfee has shown the extent to which Indians are exposed to fake messages and scams on a daily basis, receiving nearly 12 such texts or emails per day.
These scams, often disguised as “legitimate communications,” cause significant stress and financial strain as consumers spend an average of 1.8 hours per week checking, verifying, or determining whether a message is genuine or fake.
The study interviewed more than 7,000 adults in seven countries, including India, to understand the impact of phishing messages and the increasing sophistication of artificial intelligence (AI). The findings highlight the growing need for AI-based defense solutions to prevent the rising tide of AI-based scams.
Artificial intelligence plays a key role in allowing cybercriminals to expand and develop phishing messages. Phishing and SMS scams have picked up steam, with a new phishing site being created every 11 seconds, underscoring the urgency of protecting India’s 900 million internet users online.
Worryingly, 82% of Indians have fallen for or clicked on fake messages. The credibility of these messages increases with 49% of respondents reporting that they no longer contain typos or errors that make them more difficult to identify.
Among the most commonly believed scam messages, fake job advertisements or offers make up 64 percent, while bank alert messages make up 52 percent. These scams come in many forms, including false prize claims, fake job offers and bank alerts.
Roma Majumder, Chief Product Officer at McAfee, highlighted the evolution of these scams and the need for advanced AI technology to prevent them. He stated: “This onslaught of phishing messages is consuming people’s time, energy and finances. And that’s why we all need AI to defeat AI. Unfortunately, seeing is no longer believing, and we need to equip ourselves with advanced AI technology that can stop and block phishing messages in real time.
The survey found that 60 percent of Indian respondents believed that identifying scam messages caused by hackers has become more challenging to make them more convincing. The most common forms of scam messages are prize announcements, fake job offers, bank alerts, false purchase notifications, and order updates.
The sheer volume and sophistication of scam messages makes the average Indian spend 105 minutes a week trying to assess the authenticity of the messages they receive. This equates to more than two full work weeks per year dedicated to fraud detection.
About 90% of Indians surveyed admitted to receiving fake messages or scams daily via email and SMS, and 84% said the same about social media.
The study also highlighted that with the development of scam messages, 82 percent of Indians have clicked on or been exposed to fake messages. The most believed messages are prize announcements, fake delivery failure notices or delivery failure notices, and information about purchases that the recipients have not made.
The increase in AI-powered scams has weakened 37 percent of Indian respondents’ trust in digital communication. However, many people do not have the knowledge to protect themselves effectively. As a result, 28% of people ignore suspicious messages, 28% block the sender and 31% report suspected scam messages.
According to McAfee, despite the challenges, there is strong belief in AI’s potential to combat these scams, with 88% of Indians trusting AI-based solutions and 59% acknowledging that AI must be countered in this ongoing battle against AI. .
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