Saturday, December 28, 2024

ONLINE SCAM REPORTS DOUBLE IN 2024

 Filenews 28 December 2024 - by Angelos Angelodimou



In the beginning it was the Police, who almost daily with their announcements warned the public about online scams, in order to extort money from citizens.

This was followed by the Hellenic Capital Market Commission, which also issued its own announcements warning of online fraud with the same purpose, namely extortion of money. In fact, the regulator had reported that some people either invoked the name of the Capital Market, or names of well-known and famous individuals, in order to lure their potential victims.

A few days ago, the Association of Banks followed, which in a statement warned of increased attempts for online fraud during the festive season, which are known to be accompanied by increased commercial traffic, both in physical stores and online.

The Association said that the most common scams are recorded via text messages or through various communication and social networking platforms, phone calls and emails. In relation to what should be the reaction of the public, the Association of Banks states that the basic measure of protection of all citizens is to be suspicious, not to answer such messages or calls and not to follow links that may be sent via sms or email.

The Legal Counsel of Consumers

Due to the fact that we are going through a festive season and especially this one, which is considered the most commercial time of the year, we asked the Consumers Association to mention some points that we should pay attention to in relation to our purchases online.

Speaking to "F", the Legal Counsel of the Consumers Association, Virginia Christou, cited data issued a few days ago by Eurostat, according to which Cyprus was in second place among EU countries in terms of social media use.

Specifically, according to the survey, 83% of the population of Cyprus participated in 2023 in social media (such as Facebook, X, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok), compared to an average of 59% at European Union level. The country with the highest percentage of people participating in social networks with user profiles, sending messages or posting was Denmark, with 91%. Cyprus was second (83%), while Hungary was third (81%).

Therefore, Christou added, if we take into account these data, then it is logical that increased fraud and, consequently, complaints regarding electronic transactions will occur.

Many more

Specifically, Christou said that in the first half of 2024, complaints to the association for online fraud have doubled, compared to the same period last year.  Especially during the Black Friday period there were several complaints, he noted and urged consumers, before shopping online, to pay attention to some basic things. In particular, make sure that all necessary information about the company is listed on the website, such as the exact name of the business and contact details (telephone, email).

Then there must be the characteristics of a product and not just its photo. It is also important to record the geographical address of the company, i.e. where it is located, so that there is a confirmation that it is a real company and not a ghost company that will take the consumer's money and then delete the website, a practice that is often observed.

It is also important to record the consumer's right of withdrawal. As Christou said, for purchases involving countries within the EU there is clear legislation on consumer rights. Where problems arise is when purchases are in third countries and it is difficult to identify the company.
Christou urged consumers to be suspicious when they see excessive discounts advertised and at the same time noted that reviews should not be given too much weight because they may be fake.

The President of the Association

We also asked for the position of the president of the consumer association, Marios Droussiotis, regarding cases where consumers buy a product online and it turns out that there is fraud. That is, the product is not sent to the consumer either because the company was a ghost, or because there is no way to communicate, or for any other reason. Droussiotis stressed that if the consumer paid by bank card and it turns out that he has been deceived, then he can initiate the cash back process and ask the bank to return his money.

The bank, Droussiotis stressed, is obliged to return the money to the consumer if it is proven that there has been fraud. Even if the bank does not identify the trader, it will have to return the money from its coffers, the president of the consumer association said.