By Ashwani Mishra, Editor-Technology, 63SATS
Picture this: You’ve got your Christmas wish list ready, hot cocoa in hand, and your finger hovering over the “Buy Now” button for that perfect gift. But before you can click, poof—it’s gone. Stolen by a tech-savvy Grinch in the form of a bot.
Yes, Santa’s workshop now has competition, and it’s not the jolly kind. Welcome to the age of AI-powered scalping, where bots are snapping up your dream presents faster than you can say, “Merry Christmas!”
Bots and Scalping: A Holiday Menace
According to research by Imperva, 71% of UK consumers believe these malicious bots are wreaking havoc on Christmas shopping. Scalping, the practice of bots buying popular items from online retailers to resell at inflated prices, is not just annoying—it’s becoming a full-blown crisis.
The numbers speak for themselves:
- 20% of consumers found their desired gift sold out.
- 19% were forced to buy a pricier alternative.
- 10% had no choice but to turn to secondary marketplaces, paying as much as 105% more.
The AI-Powered Grinch
According to Imperva, AI is supercharging scalping. Bots are now faster, smarter, and more effective, leaving parents and kids disappointed while lining cybercriminals’ pockets.
The impact isn’t just financial; retailers also risk losing their reputation and loyal customers when their inventory is wiped out by bots.
Retailers: The Frontline in the Bot Battle
Retailers must take the lead in defending their customers. By proactively analyzing buying behaviours and curbing bot traffic, they can not only safeguard their reputation but also give genuine shoppers a fair shot at securing the Christmas gifts they’ve been dreaming of.
Imperva’s 5 Tips to Thwart the Grinch Bots:
Identify Risks and Analyze Traffic: Detect bot activity by tracking suspicious spikes in traffic or failed login attempts, especially on vulnerable pages like payment forms or product listings.
Block Outdated User Agents: Bots often operate using outdated browsers. Block user-agent strings older than three years and deploy CAPTCHAs for added security.
Limit Proxy Traffic: Many bots use proxy services to disguise their origins. Restrict access from bulk IP providers to reduce bot infiltration.
Implement Rate Limiting: Cap the number of requests users can make in a set timeframe to prevent brute-force logins and carding attempts.
Monitor for Automation Signs: Modern bots use headless browsers like Puppeteer to mimic human behaviour. Look for rapid clicks or unnatural navigation patterns to identify and block them.
A Grim Outlook Without Action
As AI bots continue to evolve, the threat will only grow. Retailers without robust anti-bot measures risk losing customers to competitors who take this problem seriously. For consumers, it’s yet another reminder that even holiday cheer isn’t safe from the digital Grinch.
So, next time you miss out on that must-have gift, don’t just blame your slow internet—thank the bots. Or better yet, demand better protections from your favourite retailers.
Let’s make Christmas about joy, not inflated price tags.
