The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →McAfee’s holiday research points to more convincing AI-assisted scams, but its numbers measure specific surveys, unsolicited-email activity and web-reputation telemetry—not every scam or every victim. In McAfee’s U.S. 2024 study, 21% of respondents said they had unknowingly paid for products promoted by deepfake celebrities. Its Labs also recorded a 495% increase in Black Friday-related unsolicited emails and a 314% increase in Christmas-related emails from October to early November 2024.
What McAfee reported in 2024
McAfee’s U.S.-focused 2024 Global Holiday Shopping Scams Study, released November 15, 2024, combined consumer survey responses with McAfee Labs observations of unsolicited email. The evidence types should be kept separate.
Consumer concerns and reported encounters
- McAfee said 59% of Americans surveyed were more concerned about being scammed online than at the same time the previous year.
- Eight-eight percent said they believed AI was affecting the number and sophistication of seasonal scams.
- Twenty-one percent said they had unknowingly paid for fake products endorsed by deepfake celebrity versions. McAfee reported the rate as one in three among respondents aged 18–34, versus around 5% among shoppers aged 55 and older.
- Fifty-nine percent said they had seen fake missed-delivery or delivery-problem notices, 44% had received alerts about a purchase they did not make, and 35% had seen Amazon security or account-update notices.
These are McAfee survey findings. The percentages do not all measure the same behavior, and they are not independent estimates of nationwide scam prevalence.
Unsolicited email activity
McAfee Labs compared observed seasonal email activity from October to early November 2024. Black Friday-related unsolicited emails increased 495%, while Christmas-related unsolicited emails increased 314%. Those changes describe email activity in McAfee’s observations; they are not a population-wide victimization rate.
Recommended Free Tools
#1 Best Overall
- AI Motion Detection 2.0 – Driving AI to the next level, human&vehicle detection and flexible detection area are more accurate than before. For quicker locating in crucial moments, human&vehicle smart searching in recordings offers you great help.
- Tried-and-True Safe Guard – This one-stop security solution can work with TVI, AHD, CVI, CVBS & IP cameras, the kit includes 1080P cams. The 8CH 3K lite DVR can hook up with 1080P@30fps or 3K/5MP@20fps cams. Therefore, you can also DIY it with other cameras in your home.
- Reliable 24/7 Continuous Recording – With a pre-installed 1TB HDD(Support up to 10TB HDD), providing 24/7 surveillance recording for you. Upgraded H.265+ saves more storage space and uses less bandwidth, recording videos longer and smoother viewing.
- Smart Dual-Light Effectively Guard Your Home – This newly upgraded security system offers you a crisp full color night vision, IR mode and color night vision switch flexibly. Once detect intruders, immediate pushes pop up on your phone, securing your peace of mind day&night.
- Color Night Vision & IP67 Weatherproof – Built-in IR lights and white lights, these cameras can see up to 100ft in B&W night vision, full-color night vision up to 66ft. Rated IP67, these wired cameras can brave all weather, and stand from cold to hot.
What McAfee’s 2025 analysis adds
In a November 24, 2025 release, McAfee Labs analyzed real-world web activity from October to November 2025. Researchers queried curated brand keywords formatted like typical web addresses against McAfee’s web-reputation telemetry. A visit attempt to a flagged site counted as a scam hit, and repeated attempts were included. Results were expressed as scam-related hits over total web traffic for that period.
That method is a vendor telemetry snapshot, not a census of fraudulent sites or unique people harmed. It also cannot be directly combined with the 2024 survey or email figures.
Rank #2
- No Subscription Required with aosuBase: All recordings will be encrypted and stored in aosuBase without subscription or hidden cost. 32GB of local storage provides up to 4 months of video loop recording. Even if the cameras are damaged or lost, the data remains safe.aosuBase also provides instant notifications and stable live streaming.
- New Experience From AOSU: 1. Cross-Camera Tracking* Automatically relate videos of same period events for easy reviews. 2. Watch live streams in 4 areas at the same time on one screen to implement a wireless security camera system. 3. Control the working status of multiple outdoor security cameras with one click, not just turning them on or off.
- Solar Powered, Once Install and Works Forever: Built-in solar panel keeps the battery charged, 3 hours of sunlight daily keeps it running, even on rainy and cloud days. Install in any location just drill 3 holes, 5 minutes.
- 360° Coverage & Auto Motion Tracking: Pan & Tilt outdoor camera wireless provides all-around security. No blind spots. Activities within the target area will be automatically tracked and recorded by the camera.
- 2K Resolution, Day and Night Clarity: Capture every event that occurs around your home in 3MP resolution. More than just daytime, 4 LED lights increase the light source by 100% compared to 2 LED lights, allowing more to be seen for excellent color night vision.
Brands most often impersonated in the observed data
| Category | Five brands McAfee listed | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Mainstream consumer | Apple, Nintendo, Samsung, Disney and Steam | Ranking reflects McAfee web-reputation telemetry from October–November 2025. |
| Luxury | Coach, Dior, Ralph Lauren, Rolex and Gucci | Coach produced roughly 45% more scam-related URLs than Dior, the next luxury brand, in that analysis. |
A separate 2025 survey
McAfee also reported an online survey of 8,600 adults in Australia, France, Germany, India, Japan, the UK and the U.S., conducted in August 2025. U.S. results were weighted for national representation. In that survey, 91% of Americans said they were seeing ads from unfamiliar retailers, and 57% said they were more worried about AI-generated scams than the prior year. These answers are survey results, not counts from the telemetry study.
How AI makes holiday scams harder to judge
McAfee threat researcher Abhishek Karnik said AI tools let criminals create “near-perfect imitations of trusted brand messages, celebrity faces and voices, and websites.” A realistic endorsement, logo, domain design or delivery notice therefore proves very little by itself.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Rank #3
- Outdoor 4 is our most affordable wireless smart security camera yet, offering up to two-year battery life for around-the-clock peace of mind. Local storage not included with Sync Module Core.
- See and speak from the Blink app — Experience 1080p HD live view, infrared night vision, and crisp two-way audio.
- Two-year battery life — Set up in minutes and get up to two years of power with the included AA Energizer lithium batteries and a Blink Sync Module Core.
- Enhanced motion detection — Be alerted to motion faster from your smartphone with dual-zone, enhanced motion detection.
- Person detection — Get alerts when a person is detected with embedded computer vision (CV) as part of an optional Blink Subscription Plan (sold separately).
Deepfake celebrity offers
A video or voice can be synthetic even when the celebrity appears to speak naturally. Unnatural blinking, lip-sync mismatches or odd audio edits can be clues, but their absence is not proof of authenticity. Verify the product through the celebrity’s verified channels and the retailer’s independently opened website rather than the promotion’s link.
Brand and delivery impersonation
Scammers may copy a retailer’s colors, checkout page or shipping language. An unsolicited message that says a package is delayed, a payment failed or an account needs updating is designed to trigger a quick click. Treat the message as untrusted until you confirm the issue inside the official app or by typing the known web address yourself.
Rank #4
- 【AI Motion Detection 2.0】Driving AI to the next level, human&vehicle detection and flexible detection area are more accurate than before. For quicker locating in crucial moments, human&vehicle smart searching in recordings offers you great help.
- 【Tried-and-True Safe Guard】This one-stop security solution can work with TVI, AHD, CVI, CVBS & IP cameras, the kit includes 1080P cams. The 8CH 3K lite DVR can hook up with 1080P@30fps or 3K/5MP@20fps cams. Therefore, you can also DIY it with other cameras in your home.
- 【Reliable 24/7 Continuous Recording】With a pre-installed 1TB HDD(Support up to 10TB HDD), providing 24/7 surveillance recording for you. Upgraded H.265+ saves more storage space and uses less bandwidth, recording videos longer and smoother viewing.
- 【Smart Dual-Light Effectively Guard Your Home】This newly upgraded security system offers you a crisp full color night vision, IR mode and color night vision switch flexibly. Once detect intruders, immediate pushes pop up on your phone, securing your peace of mind day&night.
- 【Color Night Vision & IP67 Weatherproof】Built-in IR lights and white lights, these cameras can see up to 100ft in B&W night vision, full-color night vision up to 66ft. Rated IP67, these wired cameras can brave all weather, and stand from cold to hot.
Safer ways to check a holiday offer
- Pause. Do not let a countdown, low-stock warning or delivery deadline force an immediate decision.
- Open the source independently. Use a saved bookmark, the retailer’s official app or a web address you type yourself—not a link in an email, text or direct message.
- Check the seller and payment request. Be especially wary of demands for gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency or unnecessary personal information.
- Compare the offer. Search for the product on the legitimate retailer’s site and check whether the same promotion appears through an independently verified channel.
- Inspect the address and page. Misspellings, look-alike domains, unusual redirects and requests to download software are warning signs, although a polished page can still be fraudulent.
- Use account safeguards. Set a unique password for each important account, enable two-factor authentication and review bank and card statements for unfamiliar charges.
These habits reduce exposure; they cannot guarantee that a scam will be blocked.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to do after clicking or paying
- Stop communicating with the sender and do not submit additional information.
- Change the affected password immediately, then change any other account password where it was reused.
- Contact the bank or card issuer about suspicious transactions and ask what payment-reversal or card-replacement steps apply.
- If you downloaded a file or app, disconnect as appropriate and scan the device with trusted security software.
- Report the impersonation to the retailer or platform and to the fraud-reporting authority serving your country.
How to interpret McAfee’s findings
The 2024 release is historical evidence about a U.S. consumer study and observed email changes. The 2025 release is the latest seasonal analysis described here, using McAfee telemetry plus a separate international survey. Neither release forecasts 2026 activity, and neither independently verifies the full volume of online scams. The practical conclusion is narrower and useful: familiar branding and convincing media are no longer reliable authentication, so verify through a channel you initiate.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Video Doorbell is our second-generation smart security doorbell with up to two years of battery life, an expanded field of view, and improved security features for more peace of mind, no matter where you are.
- Last longer with two-year battery life — Experience up to two years of smart security coverage on both devices with included AA Energizer lithium batteries and a Blink Sync Module (included with Outdoor 4).
- See and speak from the Blink app — Experience head-to-toe HD viewing from Video Doorbell and 1080p HD live view from Outdoor 4 as well as infrared night vision and crisp two-way audio.
- See more at your door with Blink Video Doorbell — Greet guests and watch packages get delivered, day and night, with head-to-toe HD view and infrared night vision. Use two-way talk to hear and speak through the Blink app.
- Enhanced motion detection with Outdoor 4 — With our all-new Outdoor 4, enjoy a wider field of view and be alerted to motion faster with dual-zone, enhanced motion detection.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
