One tenth of UK consumers become victim of Internet fraud

UK consumers that think that banks and financial bodies are looking after their financial data and security online need to think again. Figures from Get Safe Online Campaign reveal that one in ten people in the UK have been the victims of online fraud, and each victim has lost an average of around £875 as a result of this fraud.

Internet spending in the UK has rocketed to thirty billion pounds a year, reflecting just how much confidence UK consumers have when it comes to making online transactions, despite the various warnings about possible fraudulent activity.

However, the survey also revealed that many of the people that spend online assume that banks and financial bodies are able to look after their financial security and safely online, which is not actually the case. It is up to the consumer to be more vigilant about security when making online transactions, and in some cases, such as with credit card fraud, some consumers may find that they are unable to recoup the costs of the fraudulent activity.

The Get Safe Online director, Tony Neate, stated: "The internet now is the real world. "We don't blame the police when we get burgled and we must take responsibility for what we do online in the same way we do for securing our houses and cars."

Nearly fifty percent of the people that were surveyed said that they did not have any basic security facilities such as spyware software. Many have also admitted to neglecting to use basic security procedures and checks, all of which can increase the chances of becoming a victim of online fraud.

Tom Smith
10th April 2007