Research conducted for Affinion International, a provider of protection and assistance products to many of the world’s major banks, reveals that using a smartphone to surf the web and shop is where people feel most at risk of card fraud and identity theft. Although experts agree that online shopping will increasingly move to mobile devices, the thing that may hold shoppers back is a fear of crime.
Some 60% of those surveyed believe they are at risk when using a mobile and more than a quarter rate shopping in such a way as being a high risk. Whilst 26% of those surveyed felt using a mobile to shop and surf left them at a high risk of card crime, only 13% felt the same when using a home PC or laptop – demonstrating the additional problems that mobile devices have to overcome to be an established shopping channel.
The survey of 1,078 UK consumers highlights a growing problem, with nearly one in ten Britons owning an iPhone, another quarter a smartphone of some kind, and mobile shopping becoming increasingly popular. Research from eDigitalResearch, Portaltech and IMRG expects revenue generated through smartphones to increase from 3.3% to 6.6% by 2013.
Steve Parsons, UK Head of Protection Products & Insurance for Affinion International commented: “These figures clearly highlight consumer fears around this fast-growing way to shop that need to be addressed. People need to be able to be able to shop safely, whether it’s through a mobile, PC or the high street, knowing they are protected against fraud and ID theft.
“Traditional protection products focused on the physical threats posed by the loss or theft of a card and this just does not reflect how we transact and share our personal data. Our research tells us that only one in ten are very satisfied with their current levels of security, so more needs to be done to meet these concerns. Customers want to know that wherever or however they transact or share data they can do safely and securely.”
As well as highlighting the worries people have over using their phone to browse and shop, it also reveals their concerns about losing it. Falling victim to fraud is a pressing concern, but interestingly smartphone users are actually most concerned about the loss of their photos and contacts.
