Trust erosion hits online shopping: Report finds 34% of Indians faced scams in the past year

New Delhi: According to Accenture’s 18th annual Life Trends report, over half of people in India are questioning the content they’re served online more than before, and 71% of people in India say that trust is an important factor to them when choosing to engage with a brand.

People’s response to rapid technological advances is mixed. Influenced by the increased use of AI and generative AI, recent breakthroughs are impacting society’s digital experiences. While appreciating the convenience digital technology offers, people are increasingly needing to scrutinise what they see and what they believe as they seek to rebalance technology’s role in their lives.

Saurabh Kumar Sahu, MD and Lead – India Business, Accenture, said, "Rapid technological advancements, particularly with accelerated use of AI and generative AI, are reshaping consumers’ digital experiences. As people become more discerning about the digital content they consume, trust becomes paramount and it is crucial for brands to ensure that they foster authenticity and human connections with their audiences," 

Insights crowdsourced from around the globe helped Accenture Song identify five macro-consumer trends forecasting the changing dynamic between technology and users, and the challenges and opportunities for brands as they adapt their strategies to meet evolving customer needs.

1. Cost of Hesitations: The trustworthiness of digital technology is under threat as a rise in scams blurs the lines between real and deceptive content. Generative AI is amplifying this confusion, challenging people’s trust in digital platforms. Accenture research shows over half of people in India now question online content’s authenticity. Trust erosion is impacting online shopping and brand interactions, with 34% of people in India reporting deep-fake attacks or scams in the past year. Brands must reassure customers by creating beacons of trust in communications, commerce, and product. 

2. The Parent Trap: Parents face the challenge of helping the next generation build a healthy relationship with digital technology—potentially against their will. Unrestricted access to the internet and social media is influencing extreme behaviours and exposing young people to many different types of harm. Parents are seeing the effects and feeling the urgency, so they’re mobilising to establish guardrails as governments work on top-down policy. Meanwhile, more than two-thirds of Gen Z and Millennials in India agree that they’re spending more time online than they would like to (67% and 74% in India respectively). As young adults struggle with negative impacts, debate and action are needed to find the right balance and protective measures.

3. Impatience Economy: Many cultures emphasise that education, hard work, and determination can shape a desired future. However, last year's Decade of Deconstruction trend revealed that goals and priorities are increasingly shifting. Today, 44% of consumers in India say they wish companies would respond faster to their changing needs. Nearly 70% in India now prefer quick answers and guidance, often turning to crowd-sourced information for faster results, even taking riskier paths for health and financial goals. Notably, influencers were once largely focused on style, travel and music but their remit has expanded to include life fundamentals like health, wealth and happiness. When companies fall short, consumers look to the digital crowd, pushing brands to keep up to maintain loyalty.

4. The Dignity of Work: The dignity of work is increasingly being tested by business pressures, technological advances and shifting dynamics. As generative AI enters the workplace, dignity needs to be factored into new expectations around how people will work with the technology. 88% of people in India find generative AI tools helpful at work, saying that they make work more efficient (53%) and improve the quality of work (53%), while some are concerned that they limit creativity (23%), make work more transactional (27.5%), and create anxiety about job security (20%). Leaders must foster motivation and agency, as they are key to producing high-quality work.

5. Social Rewilding: People are increasingly seeking depth, authenticity, and sensory richness in their experiences, aiming to engage with the world in meaningful ways. Reflecting a renewed desire to reconnect with nature and each other, people are seeking balance between technology and moments of joy and well-being. We found that 27% of people in India attributed their most enjoyable experience in the past week to something they did in real life, while only one in four noted a digital experience. The shift presents organisations with opportunities to rethink their roles and align with people’s growing desire for more immersive and authentic experiences.

The research methodology employed involves the annual bellwether forecast identifying emerging digital trends and actions for businesses to take in 2025, via crowdsourced insight and intelligence from Accenture Song’s global network of designers, creatives, technologists, sociologists and anthropologists. Accenture surveyed 24,295 respondents across 22 countries in July 2024 to validate the trends.