Fb Market was rated the bottom of six e-commerce platforms for its anti-scam measures to make sure the safety of on-line transactions, accounting for 46.5 per cent of e-commerce scams in 2023.
The Ministry of Dwelling Affairs (MHA) revealed a press launch on Wednesday (Apr 10) saying the findings, which the Inter-Ministry Committee on Scams (IMCS) shared within the 2024 e-commerce market Transaction Security Scores (TSR).
The Meta-owned e-commerce market was awarded one tick for 2024, following their ranking two years in the past.
However, its competitor – Carousell, was awarded two ticks, and Amazon, Lazada, Qoo10, and Shopee acquired the best ranking of 4 ticks.
The press launch said that e-commerce marketplaces can be awarded 4 ticks in the event that they implement all important anti-scam measures and have a low variety of rip-off stories.
The TSR was first unveiled in Could 2022, and it serves to offer shoppers with info on the anti-scam measures carried out by main e-commerce platforms.
The general security ranking assigned to every platform signifies the extent to which it has taken measures to guard customers towards scams.
Here’s a breakdown of the 4 classes MHA considers when giving a ranking:
Consumer Authenticity – Whether or not the vendor is verified by the platform.
Transaction Security – Having safe cost choices
Availability of loss remediation channels for shoppers – Does a platform allow shoppers to report disputes? Are there decision mechanisms carried out?
Effectiveness of anti-scam measures – Measured by the variety of rip-off stories made
MHA has additionally cautioned shoppers who proceed to buy on platforms which have a decrease ranking.
The variety of e-commerce scams has doubled from 2022
E-commerce scams stay one of many high rip-off sorts in Singapore, with 9,783 reported circumstances final 12 months – double from 4,762 in 2022.
“These scams typically contain the sale of products and companies on-line, which aren’t delivered after cost has been made,” it mentioned.
The press launch additionally famous that the variety of circumstances on Fb elevated virtually fourfold from 2022 to 2023, rising from virtually 1,140 to 4,550 circumstances final 12 months.
This was not the primary time that Fb and its mum or dad firm, Meta, acquired public scrutiny for failing to guard their customers, as Singapore’s Minister of State for Dwelling Affairs, Solar Xueling, had some alternative phrases for the tech big.
In a parliament sitting in February this 12 months, Minister Solar criticised the platform’s steady lack of cooperation and pushback towards MHA’s suggestions to safeguard its customers from e-commerce scams.
A Meta spokesperson subsequently responded to CNA’s media queries, expressing the corporate’s “dismay” over what was shared in parliament.
In keeping with Meta, the corporate had been partaking in “shut consultations” with MHA and was “reviewing their recommendations severely” on the time of the report.
At the moment, Fb and Carousell are the one platforms within the TSR that haven’t carried out all the protection options.
As compared, Shopee acquired 4 ticks in 2024, up from three ticks in final 12 months.
The platform solely made as much as 1.1 per cent of e-commerce scams in 2023, with a discount of the variety of reported rip-off circumstances by 65 per cent. has “carried out all the protection options deemed to be important by MHA”, with their
Just like different marketplaces which have been awarded the complete 4 ticks (i.e., Amazon, Lazada and Qoo10), Shopee has carried out all the protection options deemed to be important by MHA. Particularly, Shopee has totally carried out consumer verification towards Authorities-issued documentation for all sellers.
MHA in a press launch
The board has additionally shared that The Singapore Police Power has been working with the platforms to co-locate their employees with the police on the Anti-Rip-off Command (ASCom).
“As of Jan 30 and Mar 20, Carousell and Shopee have began to bodily co-locate their employees on the ASCom,” mentioned MHA.
Minister Solar, who can be Chairman of IMCS, expressed her appreciation for IMCS’s companions within the e-commerce trade for collaborating on the TSR.
Within the combat towards scams, companions are important. The Authorities can’t do that alone.
I urge all e-commerce marketplaces to implement the important security options, particularly consumer verification towards government-issued documentation and safe cost choices, to guard their on-line customers from e-commerce scams.
Minister Solar Xueling, Singapore Minister of State for Dwelling Affairs and Chairman of IMCS
Featured Picture Credit score: Meta screenshots/Vulcan Publish
