This year, the Complaints Portal has received almost 25,000 complaints from victims of online scams in which consumers said they ordered products they did not receive, receiving no replies or refunds. The estimated cost of damages exceeds five million euros.
The average cost of each loss is 364 euros. The 24,696 fraud complaints reported by Portuguese consumers “represent an increase of approximately 37% compared to the same period last year, when 10,058 complaints were registered,” Portal da Queixa said in a statement.
Regarding the type of complaint, the main reason for complaints (57.8%) in the context of fraud is situations where the product is not received and the refund is not issued. The list of complaints also grows with difficulties in contact and lack of response from brands, problems with customer service and lack of feedback from the seller.
In terms of services, according to Portal da Queixa, the three brands with the most complaints are small computer retailer PT Electrónica (836 complaints), Decorei.pt (222 complaints) and Teckmi (183 complaints). The statement also mentions examples of consumers making expensive purchases, in one case worth more than a thousand euros, and in another alleging fraud in the purchase of an LED TV.
Data from the Attorney General’s Office report shows that in the first six months of the year, the department’s cybercrime unit received 1,363 cybercrime reports, up 511 from last year.
Author: Vanessa Fidalgo
Source: CM Jornal
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