New Zealand shoppers lose most to holiday scams, Norton says

Norton has published research showing New Zealand victims of holiday shopping scams lose more money on average than victims in any other surveyed market, with Kiwi victims losing an average of NZ$1,997.

The findings come from Norton's 2026 Holiday Scams report, which surveyed 1,000 adults in New Zealand and examined consumer behaviour during the holiday shopping period. It found that 8% of New Zealand consumers had been scammed while shopping online for the holidays, while 20% had been targeted by a scam.

Among those caught out, 86% lost money. New Zealand's average loss was higher than Australia's NZ$1,622 and almost three times the US figure of NZ$691.

The report also pointed to a gap between concern and behaviour. Four in 10 New Zealand consumers said they were more worried about online scams this holiday season than a year earlier, yet 20% said they take more risks shopping online during the holidays than at other times of the year.

Price pressure appears to be one factor. More than 60% of respondents said they are swayed by deals during the holiday season, even though 46% view such offers with suspicion. The report found 57% would buy from a website they had never heard of if the price was right, while 27% would risk money on a purchase from a seller they suspected was a scam.

That willingness to take chances extended to sought-after items. Some 38% said they had taken at least one risky step to secure a high-demand gift, including paying above market value, clicking a social media advert or email, or buying from an unknown site. A further 28% said they had landed on a suspicious website or seller while trying to buy a trending item such as a Labubu, Jellycat or Stanley Cup.

Social media featured heavily in reported scam activity. Among New Zealand holiday scam victims, 49% said the scam took place on a social platform, 37% through a scam advert, and 32% on a third-party website. Email, text message and phone scams were also common routes.

The most frequently reported scam types were online shopping scams at 39%, phishing at 34%, and postal delivery scams at 20%. Package delivery and gift card scams each accounted for 19%.

Younger shoppers appeared more exposed. The research found that 15% of New Zealand Gen Z respondents had been scammed while holiday shopping online, compared with 8% across the wider population. Gen Z was also the group most likely to take more risks during the holidays, at 32%, and the most likely to buy from a seller they suspected was a scam, at 27%.

Artificial intelligence is also becoming part of the shopping process, though respondents showed limited confidence in its ability to spot fraud. Norton found that 74% said they would use an AI assistant to shop, but only 26% were confident such a tool would recognise and avoid a fraudulent website.

Use is already significant. The report said 43% had used an AI shopping assistant or agent, and 28% plan to use a tool such as ChatGPT for holiday shopping. Among New Zealand consumers who used an AI shopping assistant or agent during the previous holiday season, 40% said one recommended or completed a purchase from a retailer they did not recognise.

Fake stores rise

Norton also cited Threat Labs data on fake online stores in New Zealand during the 2025 holiday season. The number of blocked fake shop domains rose from more than 8,000 in the 2024 holiday quarter to about 17,500 in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 110%.

The same dataset showed more than 201,000 visits to fake online stores were blocked from October to December 2025, up 121% from the same period a year earlier. More than 69,000 New Zealanders were protected from fake shops over that quarter, up 106% year on year.

Mark Gorrie, Vice President APAC at Norton, linked the losses to consumer trust and seasonal urgency. "The weeks before Christmas are a busy time for Kiwis, from Black Friday and Cyber Monday, to last-minute gifts, to Boxing Day sales," said Mark Gorrie, Vice President APAC at Norton.

"Kiwis tend to give people the benefit of the doubt, but it can be costly online. Fewer Kiwis get caught overall, yet when a scam gets through, they tend to lose more than anyone else. When we trust a seller, we don't hold back, and scammers know it. The holidays are when they put that trust to the test," Gorrie said.

He said unfamiliar online retailers may not immediately raise concerns for local shoppers. "New Zealand has a rich culture of homegrown makers and independent businesses, and discovering them online is part of everyday life, so an unfamiliar store doesn't always prompt caution," Gorrie said.

"That is the challenge. With AI, a convincing, legitimate-looking storefront can be built in minutes, and these fake shops often remain active well after the holidays. If you didn't seek out that store yourself, it's worth confirming it's genuine before entering your payment details," he said.