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Internet purchasing : perceptions and experiences of Australian households

Abstract

There are few reliable national data on the habits and experiences of Australian householders using the internet. In the 2004 International Crime Victimisation Survey, the Australian Institute of Criminology canvassed a range of issues related to Australian householders and their access to the internet, including whether the internet was used to make purchases, the types of problems experienced in online purchases, and the types of distributed computer problems experienced. The survey provides some basic estimates of householder exposure to online purchasing problems and other credit card abuse. The data indicate that the monetary risk associated with online transactions is lower than for other credit card abuse, and that generally there are fewer problems associated with such transactions, but that problems associated with online transactions are increasing. It is likely that as online transactions increase, the number of victims will also increase, as will associated monetary losses. Educating individuals about the risks, and the need for preventative action, will be challenging for private and public sector agencies.

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