Financial Services Compliance Blog - Thistle Initiatives

One in eight consumers have experienced BNPL fraud in UK

Written by Thistle Initiatives - Compliance consultancy | Nov 8, 2022 4:00:14 PM

What has happened?

In November 2022, the specialist fraud prevention firm Callsign issued a study of 2,000 UK consumers that explores BNPL and also reveals that one in eight respondents has experienced fraud involving BNPL services, 26% of whom say they signed up to a fake BNPL service and 22% say their account was hacked (see the summary graphic below).

What are the key points of the study?

The impact of fraud involving BNPL services led 35% of respondents to say that they do not believe BNPL providers will protect them from fraud, and a fifth to state that they now worry about making online payments.

When it comes to the type of fraud experienced after using a BNPL service, 30% of respondents reporting fraud to say a fake account was set up using personal credentials, while 28% say they gave away personal information to a scam BNPL service.

The survey highlights the uncertainty surrounding BNPL services. 52% of respondents do not trust BNPL services to prevent them from falling into debt. This can also have a huge impact on reputation.
After experiencing fraud through BNPL, 21% of respondents stated they no longer use those services and 28% that they no longer use the retailer from which they purchased the goods.

The research also highlights that 46% of respondents stated that BNPL providers should be responsible for protecting consumers from fraud.

How can we help you?

If you’d like to know more about how we can help you with your BNPL anti-fraud arrangements, or any other regulatory compliance issues, our specialist team is here to help.

Contact us today on 0207 436 0630 or email info@thistleinitiatives.co.uk.