AI agentic shopping comes with its own risks

The rise of AI shopping not only gives consumers access to personalized advice and hassle-free shopping, but also increases the risk of digital fraud.

This Black Friday, for the first time, consumers and retailers are being warned about the dangers of so-called “agentic shopping” as consumers turn to big-language models to search for products, compare offerings, receive personalized recommendations and even shop without human input. These technological advances come with their own risks.

“It definitely makes my life easier… but at the same time, it also makes fraudsters’ lives a lot easier,” said Michael Reitblatt, CEO of Forter, an identity intelligence company that works on fraud prevention.

According to Reitblat, there has been a 200% increase in agentic purchases from consumers in the last six months. Fraudsters using AI have increased almost tenfold. “Think of it as sending thousands of robots to different stores to masquerade as good customers,” Reitblatt told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe.”

The knee-jerk reaction of some retailers to simply ban AI shopping may be a flawed strategy because more and more consumers are using AI to shop and it’s driving better traffic, Reitblatt said.

A report by McKinsey & Company and The Business of Fashion found that among fashion executives, AI and digital tools were seen as the biggest opportunities for the industry in 2026. To ensure that products are visible and preferred by AI models, brands need to rethink marketing and e-commerce strategies, the report states, adding data to make it successfully API-rich.

“You need to use AI to fight AI,” Reitblatt said. “You need to make sure you’re using better data than fraudsters, and you need to think properly: How do you authenticate customers?”

Consumer confidence has been shaken during the shopping season. In Europe, economic sentiment has remained stubbornly above its long-term average since mid-2022, according to European Commission data. Meanwhile, in the US, consumer confidence took its toll Lowest point since April Job security concerns have increased in November.

Some experts suggest that affluent consumers are doing well and others are cutting costs due to higher price pressures. “The K-Shaped Economy.”

“Consumer confidence has been shaken, and that’s going to be a big thing this year for consumers to feel like they’re getting real value,” he said. CurryDean Kramer, Chief Service Officer of

“We know that research is a big part of how consumers approach Black Friday, making sure they’re getting the perfect value.”