Nearly one in five consumers have been scammed or have been a victim of fraud through online shopping, according to a new survey from Yaspa.
It found that 15% of consumers have been scammed or defrauded through online shopping platforms, but this rises to one in five 25-44-year-olds, with 22% of 25-34-year-olds falling victim and 20% of 35-44-year-olds having been scammed.
Nearly 13% of consumers believe that the clothing sector is the most common place for online shopping scams or fraud to occur. The concern is highest for 16-24-year-olds, where a quarter (25%) believe they are at risk, although a lower number (18%) have actually lost money through online shopping scams or fraud.
Ticket fraud tops online retailing concerns
Consumers are most worried about ticket fraud, however, with nearly a quarter (24%) believing they are at risk of scams when buying concert or sports tickets online.
More generally, the research showed that 40% of Brits who have been victims of fraud or scams in the last year haven’t been able to recover the money lost, with consumers losing an average of £765 to scams. The average percentage of lost funds sits at 34%.
The nationally representative survey found that more than a third (35%) of respondents were victims of fraud in the last 12 months, an estimated equivalent of around 17.5 million people. Over half of Brits (54%) said they believe it is easier to scam people today than five years ago, while 70% of respondents said they are concerned about themselves or a loved one becoming a victim of fraud in the next 12 months.
However, a similar amount (74%) said they were confident that they would recognise a potential scam or fraud attempt. This is despite such scams continuing to grow in sophistication.
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