That Schufa warns of fraudulent attempts when shopping online on the occasion of the popular discount day Black Friday. Therefore, in a representative survey conducted by credit checkers, 26 percent of those surveyed said they had been victims of online fraud. Every third fraud victim (32 percent) falls for a fake store. 1,000 people were surveyed.
“Online fraud is no longer a marginal phenomenon – it affects millions of people and is now becoming more professionally organized,” warns Josephine Ackerman, co-person in charge of private customers at Schufa. “Fake stores in particular show how sophisticated today’s perpetrators are at gaining trust.” Especially ahead of Black Friday at the end of November, awareness of the dangers is important considering the tempting discounts.
Damage was mostly under 1,000 euros
According to the survey, the majority of victims of fake shops, 62 percent, suffered losses of up to 250 euros, while 17 percent experienced losses of between 251 and 500 euros. A small proportion, 7 percent each, suffered damage of between 501 and 1,000 euros or more than 1,000 euros. Nearly every second fraud victim (49 percent) was unsuspecting when ordering; 40 percent thought the offer was unusual but did not suspect fraud.
According to the survey, the most common reasons for falling for a fake store were the trustworthy website design (35 percent) and consumers having never had a problem with a fake store before (31 percent). 30 percent of those surveyed admitted that they did not check the seriousness of the site enough.
Many people are reluctant to report
However, only about half of those affected talk to others about the case or seek help. Only 36 percent filed a complaint. “The fact that many victims do not report the fraud further exacerbates the problem,” said Schufa’s Ackermann. Fraud and identity fraud, namely the fabrication of false facts to persuade victims to transfer money, are also widespread on the Internet.
Schufa is a private credit reporting agency and the largest provider in this field in Germany. Critics accuse the company of having a monopoly-like position and sometimes questionable use of personal data. Schufa said it has conducted consumer surveys about online fraud several times a year since September 2020.
