A 25-year-old officer worker surnamed Kim purchased a handbag from a blogger in October last year. After communicating with the dealer via a social network, she sent the money. The handbag, however, was never delivered. She attempted to reach the dealer through the social media site, but no responses came.

Similar cases of fraud have been on the rise, as more e-commerce take place on social media.

According to statistics released by Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday, e-commerce fraud on social networks surged to about 500 cases last year, up sevenfold in just three years.

The most common case was refusal to refund, with 64 percent, followed by delivery delays, with 12 percent. Sudden contact disconnection or business closure also made up 11 percent, the city said.

For damaged items, clothes accounted for the most, with 56 percent, followed by fashion accessories with 24 percent.

Nearly 90 percent of victims were those in their 20s and 30s, as they tend to be most active in online shopping, it added.

The city advised consumers check the return policy before purchasing items online. It also said it is better buy with a credit card rather than via account transfer, which is a very popular payment option in Korea.

Information on the compensation process is available at the Seoul Electronic Commerce Center website at ecc.seoul.go.kr.
 
By Lee Hyun-jeong (rene@heraldcorp.com)