More than 13,000 complaints last year for online purchases: three tips to avoid being fooled
The Economic Inspectorate received 13,233 complaints in 2023 for cases of fraud, scam, counterfeiting, etc. following purchases on online sales sites. Here’s how not to be fooled.
Journalist in the General Editorial Office
Published on 05/09/2024 at 11:17
More and more Belgians are making their purchases online. In 2023, they spent 16.3 billion euros on online purchases, an increase of more than 11% compared to 2022. The problem is that scammers have also moved into this area …
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Complaints on the rise for foreign sites
According to Alexia Bertrand (Open VLD), Secretary of State for Consumer Protection, the economic inspection (via its contact point) received 13,233 reports in 2023 and, in the month of January 2024 alone, already 1,290 complaints. Reports for purchases made on e-commerce sites declared as foreign are increasing (6,681 cases in 2023 compared to 6,002 in 2022), those made on sites declared as Belgian are decreasing (6,552 in 2023 compared to 7,636).
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“This decrease can probably be attributed, among other things, to the proactive approach of registries such as DNS belgium and EURid which automatically filter all new domain name registrations,” explained Secretary of State Alexia Bertrand to the CD&V senator who questioned him about it. “If there is any suspicion of fraudulent registration under a false identity, this will be placed on hold. The domain name holder will then be asked to correct their data or prove its accuracy. For her, the increase in the number of reports from foreign sites may be due to the fact that the creation of a “.be” or “.eu” website is more closely controlled. “Scammers are more likely to choose a different extension.”
The three practices most often denounced are, in order: 1. sales fraud (obtaining payment for products without the intention of delivering them); 2. fraud in the context of a (partially) fictitious purchasing process; 3. Failures in the delivery of goods or services. Other complaints concern attempted forced purchases and trade in counterfeits. Sometimes, it is the merchant who complains about purchasing fraud (purchasing products without the intention of paying for them!).
Check and compare
How can you protect yourself from any scam or fraud when you are a customer? The SPF Economy gives us three simple tips for the consumer to apply.
1. Check image, reputation: In an online search, combine the name of the store or company with the words “complaints” or “reviews”. This will help you find the experiences of other consumers.
2. Verify the identity of the seller: All merchants are required to clearly indicate the necessary contact details (company name, physical address, email address and company telephone number) on their website. It is therefore worth briefly checking this information. If the website does not mention any information about the company, it is best not to buy anything.
3. Compare prices: Check prices and compare them with prices on other websites. If they are suspiciously low, that should ring a bell.
The FPS Economy adds that Internet fraudsters are inventive and are always finding new methods to trap web visitors without them suspecting anything. “Even a website that appears at the top of search results can be untrustworthy. So always be on your guard,” warns Lien Meurisse, spokesperson for the FPS Economy. And let’s not forget that fraudsters are always surfing the news. “During the energy crisis, with the sharp increases in electricity and gas prices, we saw many fraudulent online stores being created for firewood products,” recalls Lien Meurisse.
