Online fraud However, the research, which canvassed the opinions of 1,500 people, showed that the 55-64 age bracket had been scammed less online than younger age groups.
Sixteen per cent of respondents over 55 said they rarely or never felt safe trading online, which was just four per cent less than the most-affected age category, the 18s to 24s.
This study reflects national trends. According to Action Fraud, the UK's national fraud reporting centre, a third of crimes reported to them in July this year concerned online shopping and auction fraud. The overall volume of calls about fraud also increased.
The research was commissioned by 192.com and a spokesperson for the City of London Police explained: "Since January the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau has each month received more than twice as many reports of online shopping and auction fraud from Action Fraud than any other type of fraud."
Rather shockingly, the survey also claimed that some 30 per cent of people lie to somebody to whom they are selling a product or service. Yet, 33 per cent of those polled said they were 'most likely' to trust someone they met for the first time.
Commenting on the findings, Robin Kramer, Psychologist at the University of Bangor said: "Our default position is to trust someone rather than not. When considering deceiving others, we come across more situations as we get older in which we judge the benefits to ourselves to outweigh the costs to others. Under these circumstances, the temptation to lie can significantly increase."
This perfect storm is illustrated by the case of a Mr Hercock, an Elvis Presley fan from Lincolnshire. "I've been an Elvis fan since I was five. I was looking for rare fan footage of Elvis in concert in the 1970s. I put in an internet search for it, and up came a website selling footage of my idol," said Mr Hercock.
"I paid for the footage and waited. When it had not arrived after three weeks I knew something was wrong."
Mr Hercock found that the e-trader had ripped off a number of Elvis fans with a similar non-delivery scam. An online campaign was set up among fans, but the fraudulent trader was never found.
"It wasn't the money, it was the principle," he added. "That an Elvis fan should rip off a fellow fan was really hurtful. I just wanted to ask how many others he had taken for a ride."
The research found that when victims can't find a postal address of their defrauder, legal proceedings are hampered because a summons can't be served. "You do need to have address for a defendant, Her Majesty's Court Service cannot find one for you," confirmed a HMCS spokesperson.
Before entering into an online transaction, it's a good idea to give yourself some reassurance. One way of doing this is by going to http://www.192.com/people/identity-check/ to verify the name and contact details of the person or business you're dealing with. If you can pinpoint a name and address, then there is at least some recourse if it all goes wrong.
This article was first published on October 4, 2010. The opinions are the author's own and for general information only. Always seek independent, professional, financial advice.