Rising Online Fraud: Protect Yourself This Holiday Season

Online shopping faces growing fraud risks, with 350 million euros lost annually in the Netherlands alone. Common scams include non-delivery, counterfeit products, and payment misuse. While digital advancements offer convenience, it's crucial to verify sellers, check reviews, and use secure payment methods to avoid fraud this holiday season.

Does the internet and marketing still have a future in this world? Do you also think the "positive" developments in the world are so fantastic? Our letters no longer take long to reach their recipients, the telephone bill no longer exists in many cases, we no longer have piles of CDs at home, and almost everyone is working towards better health and a healthier environment. Common scams include non-delivery, counterfeit products, and payment misuse. While digital advancements offer convenience, it's crucial to verify sellers, check reviews, and use secure payment methods to avoid fraud this holiday season.

It has just been announced that in the Netherlands, a third of customers who buy something online have to deal with some form of fraud. We’re talking about an amount of 350 million euros per year! Recent research also shows that the most common types of fraud are: "paying but not receiving the product, counterfeit products, and payment details that are misused at a later stage." The industries most affected by internet fraud, according to research, are: "Fashion 26%, consumer electronics 11%, and beauty and health products 8%. Most fraud cases occur with international suppliers.

Is sufficient control over the internet even possible?According to insiders, most fraud takes place through payments made via banks (42%). Fortunately, most banks have become a little more accommodating with cashback schemes. But with most banks, this is almost always only possible if the payment in question involves an automatic payment arrangement, i.e. a direct debit! You know as well as I do that you don’t typically use direct debits for Christmas gifts. So, pay attention to your purchases this holiday season, verify the seller, listen to previous buyers, and see if you can opt to pay for delivery when making expensive purchases. In all honesty, I only see internet fraud increasing, while control (by the police and politics) is only decreasing, even though the press releases from the police and politicians are full of claims about how good they are and how many employees they continue to hire. What I want to say is: "Forewarned is forearmed!" It's better to check twice than once too little! Even if you don’t live in the Netherlands, think about the entrepreneur who works hard in your own country, town, or street. From my hometown of Baarn in the Netherlands, I wish you happy shopping and a very merry holiday season.