In the face of increasing threats from shady marketers, Visa has upped the ante in its anti-fraud educational measures and consumer protection tactics. For the second year in a row, the company has released a Deceptive Marketing Survey, revealing that strikingly high numbers of Canadians have fallen prey to credit card marketing scams. What’s more, cardholders in British Columbia are victims of higher-than-average rates of fraudulent activity involving unauthorized charges.
Survey by: Ipsos Reid
Methodology: A national survey of more than 1,000 Canadians polled between Aug. 22 – Aug. 26.
Key findings:
• 61% of Canadians have made an online purchase or purchases in the last 12 months
• 21% of Canadian consumers have been victimized by deceptive marketing practices through unauthorized charges as the result of accepting an offer online or over the phone
• Approximately 25% of online shoppers read the entire “terms and conditions of sale.” About half (48%) read only a portion and 27% do not read the “terms of condition of sale” at all
• Among those who actually read the “terms and conditions of sale,” nearly half (43%) say they do not find the terms easy to understand
• Just 31% of online shoppers polled in B.C. actually read the entire “terms and conditions of sale” prior to making a purchase, 52% read only a portion and 17% read nothing at all
• In the Prairie Provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba), 79% of respondents claim to be aware of deceptive marketing. However, as many as 17% of these have been the victim of unauthorized charges resulting from an offer they accepted online or over the phone
• Residents of B.C. and Ontario reported the highest incidence rates at 26% and 24% respectively. Quebecers had the highest rate of risk, with 40% claiming to not read the terms and conditions of sale
• On a positive note, 94% of all Canadians review their monthly credit card statements to check for unauthorized charges
