Online shoppers are committing more non-delivery fraud against retailers, suggests a counter-fraud trade body. This type of fraud occurs when a shopper places an order, receives the goods; and then, fraudulently, claims to not have received the delivery and claims a refund.
In a recent survey by Cifas, one in five people (20pc) admitted that they or someone they knew had committed non-delivery fraud over the last 12 months – up from 18pc the previous year. The largest total (36pc) was from people aged between 25 and 34, followed by 16to 24-year-olds at 33pc. Nearly a fifth of those surveyed (18pc) didn’t believe it was illegal to falsely claim the non-delivery of a purchase, and this too was up, from 17pc a year before.
Cifas says that it has seen a rise in individuals committing fraud to not only claim refunds, but also to obtain financial products such as mortgages and bank loans. Individuals who make false statements of their level of income often support these claims with fake bank statements and HMRC tax returns.
Between January and September 2022, nearly 18,000 records of false applications were filed to Cifas’ National Fraud Database – up nearly half (45pc) when compared to the same period in 2021. The largest proportion of these were against banking, but there were also marked increases in attacks on the asset finance, loan and mortgage sectors.
Mike Haley, CEO of Cifas, pictured, said: “We know that many people are struggling with the rise in the cost of living, but however tempting, fraud is never a solution. Anyone found to have committed fraud faces serious consequences which may impact their financial and employment futures, and in some instances result in a prison sentence. However harmless it may seem, carrying out fraud is too big a risk to take with your future.”
