In support of
National Cyber Security Awareness Week, PayPal is partnering with the Federal Government, The Centre for Internet Safety at The University of Canberra and a host of other public and private organisations to educate consumers on managing their digital footprint. As an increasing number of Australians tap into the convenience of transacting, browsing and connecting online, it is more important than ever for consumers to be mindful of the digital footprint they leave behind.
As a leader in payments, PayPal protects the financial information of its five million active Australian users and over 80,000 merchant account holders as they transact online. New research[1] released by PayPal Australia has revealed tech-savvy Australians are becoming increasingly complacent towards their digital footprint, with over half (55%) of all respondents saying they were unsure about how many websites hold their personal information. While 67 per cent of respondents were comfortable entering personal details when shopping online, almost a third (32%) said they were unsure how to recognise a scam or a risky website.
PayPal surveyed 1,000 Australian connected consumers, who own a desktop or laptop as well as a smartphone or mobile device. According to the research, the majority of Australians are comfortable interacting online but still do not have the knowledge necessary to secure their personal information, with nearly one in four (23%) Australians saying they have or know someone who has had their details stolen online. Almost one in five (19%) said they have or know someone who has fallen victim to an online scam and had their money stolen, of which, a third were unable to get their money back.
Adrian Christie, spokesperson for PayPal Australia said: “At PayPal, protecting the personal information of our consumers and businesses is at the core of everything we do. We’re proud to have worked closely with ASIC to develop the new ePayments Code and to become one of the first industry signatories – an important step in the payments industry to protect Australian consumers.
“Online fraud continues to be a pervasive issue in Australia, as more and more Australians embrace new technology for all their information and shopping needs. With over five million Australians with an active PayPal digital wallet, we’re committed to securing the personal information of our customers, ensuring they are protected by our world class anti-fraud system and are armed with tools and resources necessary to transact safely online and increasingly in-store.”
Alastair MacGibbon, director at the CIS said: “The online landscape is constantly evolving as more consumers use the ease and convenience of connecting online to manage their day-to-day lives. Cyber criminals are becoming increasingly intelligent as the net widens and online and mobile shoppers grow into a more significant target for scams. Consumers and businesses also need to assess and adapt how they manage their digital footprint to ensure they use technology securely online.”
-ENDS-
[1] Pure Profile survey commissioned by PayPal Australia, 22 April 2013
Notes to editor:
The survey referenced in this media release was conducted by Pure Profile, and commissioned by PayPal Australia. The sample size was 1,000 users with both a desktop or laptop and a smartphone or tablet device and the survey was completed on 22 April 2013.
About PayPal
PayPal allows people to send and receive money without sharing financial information. With over 5 million active accounts in Australia, consumers have the flexibility to pay online or with any connected mobile device using their account balances, bank accounts or credit cards. Consumers can purchase goods with PayPal in more than 193 markets and 25 currencies around the world, PayPal enables global ecommerce. With over 80,000 merchant partners in Australia, PayPal is an option for Australian businesses to transact online and in-store, from sole proprietors to established large merchants. PayPal is an eBay Inc company.
The PayPal online payment service is provided to Australian customers by PayPal Australia Pty. Limited ABN 93 111 195 389 ("PayPal") which holds Australian financial services licence number 304962. Before deciding to sign-up or use the PayPal service you should consider the Product Disclosure Statement, available at
www.paypal.com.au. This media release is provided for information purposes only and is not intended as financial product advice. To sign up to our RSS feed to receive regular PayPal news please visit
https://au.stories.paypal-corp.com/media-resources.html.
For more information, please contact:
Edelman
Rachel Barry
02 9291 3331 / 0448 216 676
Edelman
Tracey Yong
02 9291 3367 / 0405 488 490