Online shoppers turning blind eye to scams in hunt for a bargain

ONLINE shoppers are so desperate to bag a bargain that they will go ahead with a purchase even if they think it may be a scam, a study has found.

More than a third of scam victims questioned in a survey said even if they thought an advert may be a fraud, they still went ahead.

The research also found that more than a quarter of Britons have been the victim of an online marketplace scam, losing £63.76 on average in each incident. The desire to grab what looks like a cheap deal often overrides people’s instincts when shopping online, according to the survey.

The report, from trading website Gumtree, found that one in five people who fell victim to scams was willing to take the risk because they really wanted something.

In some cases, a fraudster appearing to be kind and trustworthy – for example, offering to travel to the victim’s home to make a transaction – lulled them into a false sense of security.

Items subject to scams tended to be slightly cheaper than others available for sale, but not so keenly priced as to arouse suspicion – making victims think they had spotted a good deal.

The embarrassment factor meant that, after being scammed, one in six victims did not tell anyone.

Morten Heuing, general manager at Gumtree, said the research showed “users of online marketplaces can be lulled into a false sense of security”.

“Whilst millions of people use these websites safely and successfully, the reality is that fraudsters are out there exploiting honest users,” he added.

Researchers also showed eight adverts to people and asked them to identify the scams. Only seven per cent correctly identified all the bogus adverts, while 93 per cent of people could not spot all the scams.

Those who spotted fake adverts said giveaway signs included spelling mistakes, pictures looking “dodgy”, a lack of detail and factual errors in the description.

The findings from the Psychology of Scamming report coincide with Scams Awareness Month, which sees Citizens Advice and Trading Standards services leading activities throughout July.

Scam victims were also asked what tactics had been used against them. More than a quarter (27 per cent) had been put under pressure to complete the transaction quickly, 17 per cent had been encouraged to pay without seeing the item and 15 per cent had been persuaded to continue their discussion off the website.

A total of 17 per cent thought they were getting a bargain, and the same proportion also said they thought the advert was convincing.