3.5m people suffer online fraud: whose fault?
Posted 2 April 2007 at 9:46AM by Simon Dickson in Internet security
A new study claims that 12% of UK internet users, that's roughly 3.5 million of us, experienced online fraud in the last year, losing an average of £875 as a result.
Research by Get Safe Online - a campaign with public and private sector backing - revealed that 4% of internet users, more than a million people, had been subject to bank account or credit card fraud as a result of activity online.
Coverage of the same survey by the BBC includes the surprising revelation that 18% have responded to spam messages, with 10% - getting on for 3 million people - having clicked on a link in a spam message. That explains why the spammers do it... because it works.
But fewer than half the UK's online population felt that they were responsible for their own online safety. 16% believe their bank is wholly responsible for their online protection, whilst 13% feel that it is up to their internet service provider.
If you're worried about your privacy or security online, the Get Safe Online website is a good place to start. It's well presented and well laid out, and does an admirable job of avoiding technical jargon. There's a separate Knowledge Base for small businesses, with plenty of tips and links. The use of dotted-underline links for words in their glossary is a particularly nice touch.
But the new 'just how safe are you?' quiz, promoted heavily on the homepage, is probably best avoided if you have any clue about online security. It's a slow multiple-choice test, which wouldn't be out of place on a TV premium-rate phone-in. Which of these is more secure, do you think - 'virus protection ON' or 'virus protection OUT OF DATE'? It's really only worth taking the test if your self-esteem needs a boost.
Tags: fraud, get safe online, spam
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