Dial-a-scam: Thugs try to dupe Indians every two hours, clamour for AI shield grows

In a recently published report, it was 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 per cent of surveyed Indians having either clicked on or fallen victim to bogus messages. What’s even more concerning is that 49 per cent of respondents noted that these scam messages are now meticulously crafted, often lacking typos or errors, which makes them highly convincing and challenging to discern.

Phishing attacks on the rise
Among the most prevalent forms of sophisticated deception, a majority of Indian consumers reported succumbing to fake job notifications or offers (64 per cent) and bank alert messages (52 per cent). On average, a new phishing site pops up every 11 seconds in India.

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 incredibly difficult to know if that delivery text message or bank alert notification is real or not. So much so that 73 per cent 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 per cent 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 per cent of Indians receive fake messages or scams through email and text daily, while 84 per cent report the same occurrence 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 per cent
• Bank alert message– 52 per cent
• Information about a purchase the recipient didn’t make – 37 per cent
• Netflix (or similar) subscription updates – 35 per cent
• Fake missed delivery, or delivery problem, notification – 29 per cent
• Amazon security alert, or notification messages regarding account updates – 27 per cent
• Fake missed delivery, or delivery problem, notification – 23 per cent
• Information about a purchase the recipient didn’t make – 24 per cent
• Sign-in and location verification messages – 24 per cent

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 disconcerting trend: 37 per cent 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 are uncertain about 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 per cent opt to disregard suspicious emails or text messages, erring on the side of caution.
• Another 28 per cent take a proactive approach by blocking the sender of messages they suspect to be fraudulent. A significant 31 per cent choose to report messages that arouse suspicion, in an effort to protect others from potential 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 per cent of the Indian population express a willingness to place their trust in solutions or features that leverage AI for the detection of online scams. Moreover, a substantial 59 per cent of individuals recognize the necessity of AI as the weapon of choice in the battle against AI-driven deception.