Second-hand goods scams are the most common form of online fraud, but victims are reluctant to notify police, according to a survey by national statistics agency CBS.

2.9 % of the 38,000 respondents said they had been conned on the internet in 2018. Six out of 10 people said they had not involved police because they thought the amount of money they lost was too small, or that reporting the scam would have no effect.

Four in 10 reported the incident either to police or to a fraud helpdesk.

Most incidences of fraud involved websites selling second-hand goods. 40% of victims said they had never received the product they paid for. Almost a quarter were taken in by fake shop websites.

Among the items that never made it to the buyers’ homes were clothes, shoes, and accessories as well as mobile phones and laptops. Tickets were sold but not sent in 5% of cases. In 0.2% of cases the sellers were not paid for a product.

A third of the respondents said they had less faith in digital security as a result of internet fraud. Four in 10 said they had experienced emotional problems, such as anger, sleepless nights and anxiety about being scammed again.