As the festive season approaches, people go out and buy more. This applies to online purchases just as much as in the shops so Kaspersky Lab reminds device users to make sure they always protect their transactions online. Unfortunately Internet shopping does not always end well for the buyers. A recent survey conducted by Kaspersky Lab and B2B International found that almost half of those respondents who lost money in fraudulent online transactions did not get all – or sometimes any – of their funds back.
The situation is exacerbated by the fact that not all users are fully aware of the danger of cyberfraud: 0-6% of respondents believe that online crimes involving stolen money are rare occurrences that will not happen to them. 22% believe they would never be a target of a cyberattack. However, statistics show that about 43% of users faced financial cyberthreats at least once during the previous year.
“Even if you are sure that the financial company or online store will refund any stolen money in the event of online fraud, you should still be cautious. You may indeed get all the money back – although the figures suggest this only happens about half the time – but the time and stress you will suffer are impossible to compensate. That’s why it’s important to pay special attention to the protection of confidential information, including your financial data,” said Elena Kharchenko, Head of Consumer Product Management, Kaspersky Lab.