A new global consumer survey from Gen, reveals a concerning trend: holiday shoppers are putting their digital identities at risk as they’re lured by holiday deals.

The survey shows that 60% of UK holiday shoppers say they are swayed by good holiday deals and nearly two-thirds (61%) give away their personal information to receive a discount when shopping. Yet, scoring discounts could come with the risk that those personal details might end up on the dark web, where cyber criminals do their own shopping.

The 2024 Holiday Norton Cyber Safety Insights Report, which explores consumers’ experiences and attitudes surrounding digital safety during the holiday season, found that 70% of Brits have tried to secure discount codes, through means like signing up to a website’s mailing list or answering a survey.

Three in five (61%) of those who tried to secure discounts admitted to divulging their personal information to do so. Nearly all of these respondents (95%) gave away their email address, while others surrendered their name (64%), phone number (36%), and even their home address (24%).

What’s more is that it doesn’t take a huge deal to convince shoppers.

Almost half (48%) of UK shoppers are willing to provide their phone and email for a discount of 25% or less, with only 28% refusing to provide their phone and email address for a discount.

While the appeal of a decent discount in the run-up to the most costly season of the year is obvious, it can lead to people opening themselves up to be targeted by cyber-criminals – both directly and indirectly.

These concerns are reflected by shoppers themselves, with the report revealing that over half (51%) are concerned about compromising their personal details by falling for a sophisticated shopping scam, an increase from 47% last year.

Two-thirds (67%) expressed concern about becoming a victim of cybercrime, up from 59% last year, with nearly a quarter (23%) reporting they have been targeted by a scam during a past holiday season.

It’s no coincidence that while shoppers are keen for discounts, malvertising and adware are the cyber-threats that increase the most dramatically during the holiday season.

Norton data shows an increase of over 53% in malvertising attacks, malicious ads often seen by users when searching for something such as sales, during last year’s holiday shopping season. Adware, malicious software often distributed via malvertising, increased by 227% over the same period.

Warning people about digital identity theft, Norton experts recommend that shoppers use multiple tactics to protect their personal details when looking for discounts online this holiday season:

• Think twice: Is the discount worth potentially sacrificing your digital identity?

• Shield your data: Use an alternative email address that is not your usual address that you use for your daily, personal life.

• Do your research: Try to find codes from the retailer directly and not third-party providers. Coupons do exist! Check their social media for promotions.

“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.

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“This could happen in a few ways – perhaps the company you give your personal information to operates legitimately but lacks the technical structure and security to protect your data.

“This makes these companies more susceptible to breaches, which could mean your data will end up on the dark web. In fact, there have been over 200 data breaches involving UK companies in 2024 alone. On the other hand, criminals may be advertising these discounts to lure in consumers in order to sell their personal information to the highest bidder.”