Easy to use websites catch out wary shoppers

Although Britons are cautious about shopping online, the vast majority can be lulled into a false sense of security by easy-to-use websites, according to a survey.

While 98 percent of shoppers check for some kind of security before making an online purchase, almost four-fifths would trust a site which had simple, clear payment features regardless of its level of security.

Paypoint.net, an online payments provider which commissioned the survey, said 97 percent of customers preferred bigger brands over smaller businesses even though these might not have better security systems.

Experts have warned that criminals are increasingly turning to cyberspace to commit fraud as measures such as chip and PIN have helped top cut face-to-face offences.

Last year, card fraud committed over the Internet, over the phone or by mail-order rose by 37 percent, according to the figures from APACS, the UK payments association.