MUMBAI: As India gears up to shop till it drops during Prime Day 2025, McAfee’s Global Prime Day Scams Study is throwing cold water on the online frenzy. With 96 per cent of Indians saying they’ll hit digital carts this year, scammers are salivating and they’ve got AI-powered cons in their arsenal.

From over 36,000 fake Amazon websites to 75,000 scam texts impersonating delivery updates or refund alerts, McAfee Labs says cybercriminals are using deepfakes and urgency tactics to trick even the savviest shoppers.

The report reveals a sobering stat: 71 per cent of Indians are more worried about AI-generated scams now than ever. And rightly so 80 per cent of scam victims reported losing over Rs 40,000, with young shoppers (18–24) being the most frequent targets, especially on social media.

“Indian shoppers, who embrace online deals and social platforms, are increasingly falling prey to scams driven by urgency and persuasion,” said McAfee senior director of engineering, Pratim Mukherjee. “Prime Day is a time of excitement for Indian shoppers, but it has also become a prime target for scammers using AI to create hyper-personalized, convincing attacks that push people to click before they think. While many shoppers are taking precautions, the rise of AI-powered scams makes it more important than ever to stay vigilant.”

Scammers are going high-tech, using deepfakes of influencers and celebrities, as well as flashy social media ads from dodgy “brands” offering too-good-to-be-true deals. One in five victims didn’t even report their losses, citing embarrassment and psychological distress, a stark reminder that online fraud cuts deeper than just wallets.

And the fear is changing habits: 33 per cent of Indians say scam anxiety has made them abandon a purchase, and 27 per cent plan to shop less during Prime Day altogether.

But there’s hope. Nearly half of all shoppers (49 per cent) said they’d consider using a scam detection tool to keep fraudsters at bay. As India barrels into an era of digital-first retail, the message is clear. Click with caution, and think before you tap.