From Awareness to Action: Guard Against Digital Fraud This Holiday Season

Hong Kong consumers are increasingly aware of fraud risks, yet many still fall short in maintaining regular digital protection practices, according to a recent TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) survey. This persistent gap between awareness and action may leave consumers vulnerable to constantly evolving fraud tactics during the holiday shopping season.

Consumers adapt as fraud tactics focus on digital devices

Data from TransUnion’s survey, conducted between September and October 2025 among 979 Hong Kong adults, revealed that fraudsters are targeting digital devices in consumers’ hands. Among those who said they were targeted with online, email, phone call or text message fraud attempts in the last three months (37%), vishing (fraudulent phone calls meant to trick consumers into revealing data) and smishing (fraudulent text messages with the same intent of obtaining personal data) were the leading types of fraud reported, each cited by 36% of surveyed respondents. Meanwhile phishing (fraudulent emails, websites, social posts, QR codes, etc. meant to steal data) was also prevalent at 34%.

Despite these threats, the percentage of Hong Kong consumers who said they were targeted by an online, email, phone, or text messaging scam during the same period fell to 37%, down from 44% a year ago. Furthermore, only a small minority (6%) reported falling victim to such scams recently, likely driven by greater public awareness and stronger frontline fraud filters.

In addition, Hong Kong consumers appeared to take more action in response to data breaches. Among those who said they were notified in the past three months that details about their identities or online accounts had been stolen in a data breach (17%), more than one-third (34%) reported checking their account for unauthorised activity while another 34% said they changed the password of the affected account, marking increases of 11 and five percentage points respectively from a year ago. Slightly more than a quarter (26%) went further by reporting closing the affected account or reviewing their credit report for fraudulent activities like a new credit card being opened under their name, both up from 23% last year, highlighting an improvement in self‑management.

Gaps in regular security maintenance leave holiday shopping exposed

However, despite increased awareness about being targeted with fraud and more post-incident actions, proactive digital protection remained inconsistent, leaving consumers exposed to the ever-evolving fraud threats. Close to a third (29%) of respondents reported that they had not taken any action in response to cybersecurity concerns over the past two months. Among those who stayed idle, 43% said they took no action because they did not want to spend the time, staggeringly up from 25% a year ago, while almost a quarter (24%) were unsure what actions to take.

This inconsistency is of particular concern as Hong Kong consumers continue to show a strong appetite for digital convenience, especially in the run‑up to the holiday season. Close to two-thirds (61%) of respondents plan to do half or more of their holiday shopping online, highlighting the popularity of e‑commerce. Additionally, most consumers (82%) also indicated a preference for using a wider range of electronic payment methods (credit card, debit card, mobile payment app and buy now, pay later, which is known as interest-free instalment payment plans in Hong Kong) during the holiday shopping season. As fraudsters increasingly exploit vulnerabilities in digital devices, this growing reliance on cashless transactions underscores the urgent need for more consistent, proactive security measures to stay ahead of emerging threats.

“Hong Kong consumers are increasingly alert to fraud and know better how to react quickly after an incident, which is an encouraging step forward,” said Devon Sin, chief product officer at TransUnion Asia Pacific. “However, awareness alone does not close the protection gap. Consistent, proactive security maintenance to address cybersecurity risks before they arise is essential to keeping fraudsters at bay. As the holiday season typically brings a surge in digital activities, ongoing vigilance and the use of trusted protection tools remain key for consumers to stay secure. Ultimately, security is not a one-time effort, it is an ongoing commitment.”