How to Make Online Payments Safely and Without Risks
Automatically translated summary. The full text is available in Romanian.
An information note produced under the National Financial Education Campaign, run by the National Bank of Moldova and Independent Think Tank “Expert-Grup”, explains how consumers in Moldova can pay online safely. It reviews the growth of e-commerce in 2023, the most common fraud techniques, protective measures and users' legal rights.
In 2023 the number of e-commerce platforms in Moldova grew by 57.0%, while the number and value of cashless e-commerce operations rose by 15.2% and 17.2%. Online card payments increased by 12.5% in number and 25.6% in value; the average resident makes one online payment a month, worth MDL 764. Fraud stands at only 0.01% of the value of card operations.
The main risks are phishing, social engineering, advance-fee fraud, fictitious goods and services, and malware. The note advises keeping PINs and codes secret, using 3-D Secure and SMS alerts, setting limits, checking that sites use https:// and never transferring money on request by phone. It explains chargeback and what to do after fraud. Under Moldovan law, a customer who fails to protect security elements bears losses up to MDL 2,500, but all losses in cases of fraud, intentional breach or gross negligence.
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