One in five Maltese has been a victim of online shopping fraud, a new EU-wide survey has found.

The latest Eurobarometer survey, released last week, found that one-fifth of Maltese respondents complained that items they had purchased were not delivered, were counterfeit or were not as advertised.

That places Malta among the top three countries experiencing the phenomenon.

The Maltese were also among the most likely Europeans to express concern over the proliferation of online shopping fraud.

Nearly three-quarters said this was something they were worried about – of which a third said they were “very concerned”.

Online shopping has exploded in Malta in recent years, as many prefer the competitive prices and wider selection available.

Back in 2008, just two out of every 10 Maltese used the internet to buy a product or service at least once. This rate has since increased to nearly 60 per cent last year.

Three-quarters said they were worried about it

According to the survey, which focused on perceptions of cybersecurity, around a fifth of Maltese said they seldom used the internet, while eight per cent said they had no access.

And those that did use the internet said that social media was the main reason.

In fact, a whopping 82 per cent of those surveyed said it was their primary use, nine per cent more than when the survey was last conducted, in 2014.

The respondents also said that online shopping irregularities were not the only type of fraud experienced in Malta.

Nearly 40 per cent said they had received fraudulent e-mails asking for personal information, including passwords and bank details.

Just over a quarter said they had accidentally stumbled across online content that promoted racial hatred or religious extremism – the third highest rate in Europe.

Meanwhile, five per cent said that they had encountered child pornography while online. In the UK, just three per cent said they had come across this illegal material, while in Romania it was a staggering 30 per cent.

Maltese respondents were also relatively laidback about cyber security. They were the third least likely to be worried about the security of online payment systems, and they were the least concerned in Europe that their personal data would be compromised.

And it turns out, the Maltese are taking precautions. Just under half said they had recently changed their e-mail password to keep their account safe, while more than one in three had done this for their social media account.

It might come as no surprise that the Maltese were the most concerned survey participants about having their Facebook or other social media hacked.

ivan.martin@timesofmalta.com