The economic burden of the holidays is something consumers know all too well. With an onslaught of holidays and parties in which gifts are expected for family, friends, or co-workers, it’s no wonder that 79 percent of survey respondents said that holiday shopping puts financial stress on them and/or their families. No doubt, from stretching a budget and bargain shopping to attempting to purchase several perfect gifts when sales are fleeting, browsing and purchasing for the holidays can feel overwhelming, which may be why 53 percent of respondents shared that stress can lead them to be careless when online shopping.
More than half of consumers (56 percent) said that they would use a website they were unfamiliar with if it meant they would save money, while 51 percent shared they would purchase an item from an untrusted online retailer to get a good deal. Thirty-one percent would click on a link in an email to get a bargain, regardless of whether they were familiar with the sender.
While only 6 percent of respondents would be willing to risk having their bank account details fall into the wrong hands for a good deal, 39 percent would risk sharing their email address, 25 percent would wager their phone number, and 16 percent would provide their home address. The problem with this mentality is that through common attacks like phishing, it takes only a bit of information to lead a hacker to gain more of your personal information under the right circumstances. These results illustrate that when it comes to shopping online –regardless of device type– consumers are in it for the holiday deals while unknowingly ignoring their cybersecurity in the process.
