6 days ago
Festive Scams Grow as Fraudsters Mimic Trusted Brands Online
Festive seasons bring more shopping and advertising.
Scammers copy real brands to make fake offers look trustworthy.
They may use copied logos, product pictures and website designs.
Some scams send people to harmful websites that steal personal or payment information.
Others sell fake products that look like the real ones.
Scammers can also pretend to be banks, delivery companies or popular brands.
They may ask for passwords, one-time passwords or payment details.
McAfee reported that about one-third of Indians had experienced online scams during earlier festive seasons.
Brands can help by watching online platforms and removing fake pages quickly.
Shoppers should be careful when an offer seems unusually urgent or too good to be true.
Festive shopping scams increasingly imitate genuine brand campaigns, logos, websites and offers.
A 2025 McAfee study found that around 33% of Indians had fallen victim to online scams during previous festive seasons.
Fraudsters use fake deals, counterfeit products, malicious websites and impersonation messages to target consumers.
Fake emails, SMS messages and social media alerts may seek passwords, one-time passwords or payment details.
Brands are advised to monitor digital platforms, detect impersonation and quickly remove fraudulent listings and websites.
- Who
- Consumers, fraudsters, brands and digital platforms are involved; McAfee provided the cited study.
- What
- Fraudsters are expanding festive scams by impersonating trusted brands, promoting fake offers and products, and stealing consumer information.
- Where
- Across websites, search platforms, social media, messaging channels, video platforms, domain registries and other digital platforms.
- When
- During the festive shopping season and previous festive seasons referenced in McAfee’s 2025 study.
- Why
- Fraudsters exploit increased festive demand, consumer excitement and trust in familiar brands to obtain money or sensitive information.
Key facts
- Reported scam exposure
- Around 33% of Indians had fallen victim to online scams during past festive seasons, according to McAfee’s 2025 study.
- Common scam methods
- Fake offers, malicious websites, counterfeit products and impersonation messages.
- Impersonated entities
- Trusted brands, banks and delivery partners.
- Information targeted
- Passwords, one-time passwords and payment information.
- Deceptive techniques
- Copied logos, packaging, product images, branding and lookalike domains.
- Recommended brand response
- Monitor digital channels, establish takedown procedures and use artificial intelligence and machine learning to identify impersonation.
Sources
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