YONKERS, N.Y.
,
/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Online auction fraud ranks first among the types of complaints
New York state
consumers make about the Internet to state and federal officials. According to a recent statewide survey by Consumer Reports WebWatch, the Internet integrity division of
Consumers Union
, the non-profit publisher of
Consumer Reports
magazine, 27 percent of
New York state
residents who have ever used an online auction Web site, such as
eBay
or Amazon, have experienced a scam or deceptive practice -- 32 percent of
eBay
users were scammed.
The survey, which focuses on online fraud, was commissioned by Consumer Reports WebWatch, which evaluates the credibility of Web sites and advocates for consumer-focused Internet policy and governance. The full report is part of
Consumer Reports'
free Online Security Guide at
http://www.consumerreports.org/security
, which has launched to coincide with National CyberSecurity Awareness Month.
Common Complaints of Online Auction Users
Eleven percent of users of online auction sites reported that they never received the goods they bid on, making it the most common complaint. Additionally, seven percent of survey respondents who received their goods said that they were not in the condition that they expected. Other common complaints included not being told a key detail about the item before it arrived (7 percent) and being sent an item of lesser value than the one they actually bid on and won (7 percent).
"Online auctions are great for bargains, quirky merchandise and collectibles, but you need to know what you are doing," said
Beau Brendler
, director of Consumer Reports WebWatch. "Con artists, rip-off specialists and sophisticated criminals can catch you at every step of the process, from bidding to payment to shipment."
"Using online auction sites is just one of the many ways that consumers can get stung online," said
Jeff Fox
, Technology Editor,
Consumer Reports.
"Our free Online Security Guide offers consumers tips, tricks, and advice for protecting themselves from a variety of Internet threats -- there's even a new animated video and an interactive quiz to teach consumers about e-mail scams."
Other survey highlights include:
Online Auction Sites New Yorkers Use the Most
Doing Research
Avoiding Online Auction Sites
Solving Problems
For more information, please visit
www.consumerreports.org
or
www.consumerwebwatch.org
. For additional information on Internet threats and how consumers can protect themselves online visit
www.consumerreports.org/security
which features a new musical video titled "Gone Phishin" developed to educate consumers about the dangers of e-mail phishing scams. The site also features an interactive tool "Phishing Trip" that lets consumers test their ability to recognize e-mail scams. Additionally, Consumer Reports WebWatch will be releasing more results from its statewide survey on
, covering phishing, spyware and other issues.
Poll Methodology
The survey was commissioned by Consumer WebWatch, designed by the
Consumer Reports National Research Center
and conducted with a sample of 2,008 panelists representative of the geographic population distribution of
New York State
. Eligible respondents had been using the Internet for more than a year and owned a home computer for at least six months. The sample was representative of
New York State
residents who had been online for at least a year and is not nationally representative. The results may differ for a sample of less experienced users.
The material above is intended for legitimate news entities only; it may not be used for commercial or promotional purposes. Consumer Reports(R) is published by
Consumers Union
, an expert, independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves. To achieve this mission, we test, inform, and protect. To maintain our independence and impartiality, Consumers
Union
accepts no outside advertising, no free test samples, and has no agenda other than the interests of consumers. Consumers
Union
supports itself through the sale of our information products and services, individual contributions, and a few noncommercial grants.
SOURCE Consumer Reports WebWatch
CONTACT:
Melissa Valentino
of Consumer Reports WebWatch, +1-914-378-2432,
mvalentino@consumer.org
