American consumers love bargains and stores know it.
That’s why discount coupons are so popular with American shoppers. In fact, a new Capterra study showed that 78% of online shoppers “decided not to make a purchase because they didn’t have a coupon. “
78% of other consumers say they don’t like corporations not providing coupons: Capterra’s study notes that 76% of consumers “would definitely or probably avoid buying from a company if they got rid of the coupons they used to use. “
There’s a problem with consumers’ devotion to coupons, and that’s a big problem. According to the same study, 85% of online shoppers agree to hand over sensitive non-public information to businesses in exchange for a coupon.
“Most consumers are willing to provide their email (85%), gender (70%) and call (60%) addresses in exchange for discounts,” he says. “In addition, significant proportions are willing to give their date of birth. “(48%), profession (43%) and domicile (32%).
Only 7% of consumers surveyed say they are “unwilling to provide data in exchange for discounts,” the report notes.
Given the maximum threat rate of financial fraud, why would a rational user otherwise give up their private knowledge for a depressing 10% discount on a pair of running shoes?
Basically, buyers do it because they make a deal.
“It’s no secret that consumers are attracted to reductions — there’s urgency if the reduction only lasts a limited time and most shoppers like to feel like they’re saving cash on a purchase,” said Brittany Allen, security and trust architect at Sift. With the click of a button, many consumers inadvertently make their non-public data vulnerable to fraud. “
A big component of this is a lack of customer education.
“Americans are not told about non-public finances or asked to prioritize their privacy,” said Nicole Grinstead, communications director at Lunar Digital Assets. “Many implicitly accept as true the establishments that collect your identity information. “
Since accessing non-public knowledge for a smart deal is a significant risk, consumers need to be very careful when disclosing their own data online.
“In itself it can be a scam, as many cyber thieves take a buyer’s money without even fulfilling their order,” Allen told TheStreet. the buyer’s credentials and payment information. “
Once an individual’s non-public knowledge falls into the hands of fraudsters, it provides them with access to accounts belonging to the victim. Make no mistake, having customer knowledge at hand allows fraudsters to loot payment accounts in exclusive and harmful ways.
“Access to nonpublic information, as well as the fact that many consumers reuse the same password across all sites,” Allen added. passwords from Internet sites to gain access to accounts, which can then drain cash or praise points. “
What can consumers do to themselves about fraud?Allen advises taking those cybertheft prevention measures:
– Always be wary of heavily discounted prices, especially if a site requires more than one call and email to deal with a discount.
– Never disclose your Social Security number for discounts or rewards. “This type of information is only provided to trusted monetary establishments and government agencies,” Allen said.
– Always check the URL and look for merchant reviews on credible review sites.
– Protect your knowledge through a password manager. “This allows you to use a unique call and password for each site and store, and remember passwords, so you don’t have to,” Allen said.
– The joint recommendation “if it’s too smart to be true, it probably is” remains true. “It’s vital that consumers are wary of where and how much of their data online,” Allen added.