Increase in Online Purchase Fraud Cases: Business Ethics vs Consumers’ Attitudes
Amirah Madihah Adnan, Norhoneydayatie Abdul Manap, Zamzuri Zakaria · International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences · 2023
Statistics clearly indicate an increase in fraud cases involving online purchasing activities. Previous studies have found that the Internet plays a vital role in facilitating individuals to become victims of fraud, especially when activities are not carried out face-to-face. This qualitative study aims to debate what has caused the increase in online purchase fraud cases by using the content analysis and interview methods to collect and analyse data. The documents analysed included journal articles, while interviews involved government and non-government agencies directly involved with consumers. Results of the study indicate that complaints of fraudulent cases involving online purchases is related to consumers’ attitude and the ethical practices of merchants. Consumers, as buyers, are usually hasty when making a purchase and this is one of the reasons why they fall victim to online fraud. Another reason is the lack of education or knowledge regarding consumerism. In addition, unscrupulous business ethics also contribute to the increase in online purchase fraud cases. Therefore, this study suggests that the attitude of online purchasers and the ethical practices of merchants need to be improved to curtail the increase in online purchase fraud cases.