Little fear of fraud when shopping online
Published: Tuesday, Nov 21st 2023, 11:20
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With the discount battles surrounding Black Friday, online shopping will once again be very popular over the next few days. According to a survey, very few people think about possible scams when shopping online.
This is the conclusion of a survey conducted by the market and social research institute gfs-zürich on behalf of Digitalswitzerland. According to the survey, two thirds (68%) of respondents rate their own knowledge of cyber risks as "fairly good" or even "very good".
According to the authors of the study, these respondents also stand out in their other answers because they behave more securely. Precautionary measures include the use of different passwords.
Secure passwords
"Passwords are one of the most important security measures," explained Katja Dörlemann from the Swiss Internet Security Alliance SISA at a media conference on Tuesday. It is therefore worrying that, according to the survey, almost a third of respondents "almost always" or even "always" use the same password.
"Once such a password is in someone else's hands, access to all online services is open," warned Dörlemann. She therefore advises using a password manager. "Then all you need is a single, very secure password that you have to remember."
The risk of falling victim to cyber criminals should not be underestimated. As many as 8 percent of the 1239 people surveyed stated that they had already been affected by an attack from the internet.
Financial loss
However, if users fall victim to a hacker or a scam, most respondents (43%) fear data theft or loss. Just under a third fear financial consequences (30%) and a fifth the misuse of personal data or identity theft (20%).
Meanwhile, by far the most common loss events concern finances, as Simon Seebeck, Head of the Cyber Risk Competence Center at insurer Mobiliar, explained. The loss of money is therefore the most likely to be feared and can affect everyone
"Nobody is fundamentally uninteresting to cyber criminals," said Seebeck. All people who use the internet are therefore at risk of becoming "victims of criminal pickpockets".
Hardly worried
However, when it comes to online shopping, such as on Black Friday, the vast majority are still very relaxed about the risk of falling victim to fraudsters. Over four fifths of respondents (85%) are "rarely" or "never" worried about fraud on shopping platforms.
A good one in ten survey participants (11%) had already fallen victim to fraud in the last five years, for example from fake online stores or booking platforms. Often, goods that have already been paid for are not delivered or promised services are not provided. The experts therefore advise people to always keep their eyes open, even when shopping.
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