New research has revealed UK shoppers are increasingly putting themselves and their data at risk in return for bigger bargains in the holidays, with 61% giving away personal information to receive discounts when shopping.
Overwhelmingly, Brits have tried to snag discount codes through sign-ups, with 70% of us answering surveys or subscribing to a mailing list in return for a price reduction, the survey by Norton found.
Our data is pretty cheap too, with almost half of us (48%) willing to give our email and phone number for a discount of 25% or less.
A risky move
The report found shoppers are most willing to divulge their email address, with 95% of respondents admitting to surrendering emails, compared to 64% giving away their name, and 24% even willing to give marketing companies their home address.
As is always the case with strangers accessing your data, this presents a significant risk of identity theft or fraud, so think carefully about the true cost of those discounted slippers.
“Shopping for deals isn’t a bad idea, but sharing your information can be incredibly dangerous as anything personal can be tied back to you and may end up in the wrong hands,” said Iskander Sanchez-Rola, Director of Innovation for Norton.
The study showed that shoppers are concerned about the risks, with 67% of shoppers concerned about becoming victims of cybercrime, and 51% are worried about their personal details being compromised in sophisticated shopping scams.
There is certainly cause for concern too, with an increase of 53% in the last year of malicious ad campaigns – often distributed around holiday seasons for fake sales or discounts. Malicious software distributed through…
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