By Aimee Chanthadavong

The growing innovation of technology coupled with the convenience and flexibility of online shopping has driven growth in the number of Australians going online, with 500,000 Australians joining PayPal in the last six months.

But for this reason, PayPal and Crime Stoppers have partnered up to educate online shoppers about how to stay safe when conducting transactions online.
 
PayPal Australia managing director Frerk-Malte Feller told Retailbiz  that more awareness needs to be raised to ensure Australians avoid falling victim to cyber criminals.

“Whilst many shoppers are aware of the importance of security when transacting online, scammers and cyber criminals are using increasingly sophisticated techniques to target even the most savvy of consumers. With the growth of the eCommerce industry and more and more shoppers coming online, we see it as our responsibility to raise awareness and educate consumers on how they can stay safe online,” he said.

The partnership will see a series of initiatives rolled out over the coming year aiming to raise consumer awareness about the serious reality of online crime.

“The partnership does not have a monetary value and is focused on providing both materials and information to educate consumers.  Trust and safety sits at the heart of PayPal’s proposition and our approach to cyber security rests around a combination of education, technology and partnerships,” Feller said.

“We are working closely with Crime Stoppers and will be rolling out a series of initiatives over the year. The first of these is an online quiz for our members, which aims to both educate and raise awareness of online safety.”