A recent study by McAfee has shown the extent to which Indians are exposed to fake messages, and scams on a daily basis, with nearly 12 such texts or emails being received by them in a day.
These scams, often camouflaged as “legitimate communication”, are causing significant stress and financial strain, as consumers spend an average of 1.8 hours a week reviewing, verifying, or determining whether the message is genuine or fake.
The study surveyed over 7,000 adults in seven countries, including India, to understand the impact of scam messages and the increasing sophistication brought about by artificial intelligence (AI). The findings underscore the growing need for AI-driven defence solutions to counteract the rising wave of AI-powered scams.
AI plays a pivotal role in enabling cybercriminals to scale up and enhance the sophistication of scam messages. Phishing and text message scams have been escalating in speed, with a new phishing site created every 11 seconds, highlighting the urgency for India’s 900 million internet users to protect themselves online.
Worryingly, 82% of Indians have fallen for or clicked on fake messages. The increasing believability of these messages, with 49% of respondents stating that they no longer contain typos or errors, makes them harder to identify.
Among the most commonly believed scam messages, fake job notifications or offers account for 64%, while bank alert messages are at 52%. These scams come in various forms, including false claims of prize winnings, fake job offers, and bank alerts.
Roma Majumder, SVP of Product at McAfee, emphasized the growing sophistication of these scams and the need for advanced AI technology to thwart them. She stated, “This onslaught of scam messages is a drain on people’s time, energy, and finances. And it’s why we all need AI to beat AI. Unfortunately, seeing is no longer believing, and we need to be equipped with advanced AI technology that can stop and block scam messages in real-time.”
The study found that 60% of Indian respondents believed that it has become increasingly challenging to identify scam messages due to hackers using AI to make them more convincing. The most common forms of scam messages include prize-winning notifications, fake job offers, bank alerts, false purchase notifications, and subscription updates.
The overwhelming volume and sophistication of scam messages are causing an average Indian to spend 105 minutes each week evaluating the authenticity of messages received. This amounts to more than two full work weeks annually dedicated to spotting scams.
Approximately 90% of Indians surveyed admitted receiving fake messages or scams daily via email and text, with 84% saying the same about social media.
The study also highlighted that as scam messages become more advanced, 82% of Indians have clicked on or fallen for fake messages. The most believed messages include prize-winning notifications, fake missed delivery or delivery problem notifications, and information about purchases recipients didn’t make.
The rise in AI-powered scams has eroded trust in digital communications for 37% of Indian survey respondents. However, many individuals lack 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.
As per McAfee, despite the challenges, there is a strong belief in the potential of AI to combat these scams, with 88% of Indians expressing trust in AI-driven solutions and 59% recognising the need for AI to counter AI in this ongoing battle.