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Festive online sales will be down across Europe as a new study shows a rise in return fraud and false claims against ecommerce merchants

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Faced with high inflation and soaring energy prices, UK consumers are turning to their darker sides and scamming online retailers in order to get free products, according to an analysis published today by commerce protection provider Signifyd.

UK consumers surveyed for “The State of Commerce in Europe 2023” showed little compunction about admitting to cheating on returns and claims of poor service while they shopped online. In fact:

• 32% admitted to falsely claiming an ecommerce order was not satisfactory when delivered in an attempt to get a refund and keep the product.
• 26% said they had claimed that an ecommerce order that did arrive did not arrive in order to keep the item for free.
• 4% said they sent back an empty box or a box containing something other than the original product in order to keep an online purchase and receive a refund.

The responses serve as a warning to British merchants as they head into the festive season – the stretch that defines the year for most retailers – that rising prices may be shifting Britons’ moral compasses out of kilter.

The survey also found that 55% of UK consumers are spending less in inflationary times. Now, the question becomes whether they...

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