3% of all websites are scam

Author: Jorij Facebook

July 17, 2019

Scamadviser.com helps over 2.5 million consumers monthly to check if a website is legit or a possible scam. The algorithm of Scamadviser utilizes 40 independent data sources. From the IP address of the web server, the availability of contact details on the website, the age of the URL, ratings on review sites and more. The website warns consumers not only about online shopping scams (webshops that never deliver) but also phishing sites, notorious spammers and online stores selling fake products.

Based on a recent analysis of 22.5 million websites in its database, 3% of the websites have a trust score below 30%, meaning Scamadviser has serious concerns about the reliability of the website. 13% of all websites have a trust score below 70, meaning that it is wise for consumers to do an additional check before they shop. For exactly this situation, Scamadviser offers an extensive checklist.

The country benchmark seems to be that 2% to 3% of the websites have a trust score below 30% and 7% to 8% below 70%. Apart from several very small countries (Eritrea, Tuvalu, Benin, Swaziland), China has the most unreliable websites (12%), followed by the United States with 9%. Among the bigger countries, Greece, Hungary, Argentina and Denmark are countries with the least number of online scams. The full table and report are available online.

Jorij Abraham, the General Manager of the Ecommerce Foundation, elaborates: “The Scamadviser Trust Score is an indication of the reliability of the website. While we continuously expand and improve our algorithm, there is always room for improvement. We see that some countries are combating online scams better than others. Denmark and the Netherlands, for example, are improving the due diligence process before you can acquire a .dk or .nl name. Also, their notice and takedown processes have improved significantly over the last few years. By using algorithms like those of Scamadviser, country registries can clean up their domain names and continuously monitor if new scammers start using their country extension."

About the Ecommerce Foundation

Scamadviser has been part of the Ecommerce Foundation since 2018. The Ecommerce Foundation is an independent organization working with NGO’s, ecommerce associations worldwide and other ecommerce institutions with the mission to foster global digital trade.

Apart from Scamadviser, the Ecommerce Foundation publishes 20+ free ecommerce reports annually about how to sell online in 50+ countries. It is the host of EcommerceWiki.org, an online community for 40.000 Ecommerce Professionals and the initiator of Safe.Shop, the Global Ecommerce Trustmark.

Country (alphabetically) Average Trust Score Number of Sites with Trust Score  < 30% Share of Sites with Trust Score  < 30% Number of Sites with Trust Score  < 70% Share of Sites with Trust Score  < 70% Number of Sites included in Analysis
Afghanistan 83 547 4% 2600 17% 15163
Albania 82 416 5% 1248 15% 8581
Algeria 79 378 5% 1664 23% 7277
American Samoa 61 194 22% 400 46% 875
Andorra 88 30 2% 152 9% 1644
Angola 83 57 5% 186 15% 1223
Anguilla 75 116 14% 243 29% 848
Antarctica 75 4 2% 64 38% 167
Antigua and Barbuda 84 50 3% 196 13% 1534
Argentina 93 657 0,6% 3972 3% 115526
Armenia 83 239 4% 988 17% 5814
Aruba 89 22 3% 84 10% 857
Ascension Island 70 11 10% 54 49% 110
Asia Pacific 98 0 0% 0 0% 12
Australia 85 16095 3% 87578 15% 594245
Austria 90 926 1% 6215 5% 128860
Azerbaijan 87 146 2% 1256 13% 9671
Bahamas 82 2550 3% 15434 19% 81057
Bahrain 89 114 2% 412 9% 4841
Bangladesh 81 3098 6% 9776 19% 52228
Barbados 84 257 5% 768 16% 4913
Belarus 78 422 6% 1848 27% 6926
Belgium 92 580 1% 3006 6% 47596
Belize 84 421 4% 1663 16% 10480
Benin 71 181 13% 456 32% 1434
Bermuda 92 50 0% 903 6% 14745
Bhutan 83 26 3% 119 15% 787
Bolivia 89 106 2% 464 9% 4900
Bosnia and Herzegowina 90 279 3% 969 9% 11043
Botswana 87 87 6% 183 12% 1515
Bouvet Island 77 10 10% 20 20% 101
Brazil 87 2832 1% 15703 8% 199049
British Indian Ocean Territory 79 38 5% 160 23% 694
Brunei Darussalam 87 36 3% 145 13% 1102
Bulgaria 82 1461 2% 10633 18% 59999
Burkina Faso 78 53 8% 157 23% 671
Burundi 79 19 7% 58 22% 261
Cambodia 82 551 5% 1883 18% 10428
Cameroon 75 355 10% 945 26% 3665
Canada 88 11710 1% 85993 11% 799768
Cape Verde 86 19 4% 55 11% 507
Cayman Islands 89 597 1% 4920 9% 55375
Central African Republic 87 207 1% 1257 5% 22943
Chad 79 9 5% 41 24% 171
Chile 95 285 1% 1405 4% 34213
China 75 153352 12% 689613 53% 1294266
Christmas Island 59 38 29% 59 45% 132
Cocos (Keeling) Islands 75 15 8% 51 28% 179
Colombia 90 865 2% 4404 9% 51332
Comoros 80 8 5% 24 15% 159
Congo 84 8 3% 31 13% 232
Cook Islands 92 1 0% 17 8% 204
Costa Rica 90 344 2% 1083 8% 14375
Cote DIvoire 82 76 4% 352 17% 2065
Croatia 93 316 1% 2518 6% 40944
Cuba 85 9 4% 37 16% 228
Curaçao 84 120 4% 444 15% 2889
Cyprus 86 1627 3% 8314 14% 58399
Czech Republic 92 2344 1% 14814 7% 215768
Denmark 94 1140 0,7% 6400 4% 162658
Djibouti 88 9 2% 35 7% 514
Dominica 93 58 0% 1157 8% 14141
Dominican Republic 85 405 4% 1425 13% 10658
East Timor 76 5 8% 17 28% 61
Ecuador 89 226 2% 966 9% 10461
Egypt 81 1817 4% 9220 19% 48603
El Salvador 90 49 2% 229 7% 3138
England 94 0 0% 0 0% 22
Equatorial Guinea 87 79 1% 535 5% 10800
Eritrea 68 16 18% 32 36% 88
Estonia 85 322 3% 1809 16% 11054
Ethiopia 87 26 1% 163 9% 1741
European Union 90 0 0% 0 0% 10
Falkland Islands (Malvinas) 81 3 5% 12 20% 59
Faroe Islands 92 8 1% 31 4% 714
Fiji 90 12 2% 65 9% 685
Finland 92 417 1% 1742 6% 29421
France 91 11240 2% 38626 8% 462517
France, MEtropolitan 88 3 6% 4 8% 52
French Guiana 84 7 7% 13 12% 105
French Polynesia 93 2 0% 36 5% 689
French Southern Territories 79 5 11% 8 18% 44
Gabon 87 256 1% 1136 5% 22098
Gambia 82 19 5% 57 15% 388
Georgia 89 306 2% 1287 10% 13083
Germany 89 15171 2% 61557 8% 818395
Ghana 77 609 5% 3082 25% 12174
Gibraltar 85 338 4% 1243 13% 9231
Great Britain 89 447 5% 761 9% 8834
Greece 94 511 0% 3363 3% 106262
Greenland 85 13 5% 45 16% 280
Grenada 90 7 2% 26 8% 324
Guadeloupe 89 10 1% 92 9% 1027
Guam 86 21 5% 70 15% 464
Guatemala 91 102 2% 416 7% 6189
Guernsey 86 50 5% 138 14% 963
Guinea 81 6 3% 37 16% 229
Guinea-bissau 75 6 10% 17 28% 61
Guyana 87 19 5% 45 11% 402
Haiti 82 51 9% 102 17% 588
Heard and Mc Donald Islands 78 3 9% 10 29% 35
Honduras 86 95 5% 244 12% 2044
Hong Kong 79 4303 4% 24080 20% 117961
Hungary 95 653 0,53% 4170 3% 123235
Iceland 85 130 4% 481 14% 3481
India 84 34400 4% 136521 15% 934493
Indonesia 73 16940 7% 77604 32% 240557
Iran  79 3948 4% 25533 23% 111607
Iraq 84 136 3% 712 14% 4940
Ireland 91 632 1% 3773 6% 59118
Isle Of Man 85 75 4% 216 12% 1832
Israel 78 2511 3% 24912 27% 93983
Italy 91 3570 1% 22469 7% 325019
Jamaica 89 94 3% 312 9% 3553
Japan 89 4176 1% 38116 9% 416576
Jersey 90 36 2% 104 7% 1511
Jordan 88 246 2% 1095 9% 11804
Kazakhstan 75 420 3% 6030 37% 16120
Kenya 84 741 3% 3430 14% 23992
Kiribati 77 3 6% 14 28% 50
Korea (North) 76 3 4% 25 37% 68
Korea (South) 75 5295 4% 50548 34% 147674
Kosovo 81 18 4% 87 20% 445
Kuwait 90 156 2% 693 8% 8396
Kyrgyzstan 78 22 3% 196 29% 676
Lao Peoples Democratic Republic 83 32 4% 128 17% 772
Latvia 84 338 4% 1292 14% 9184
Lebanon 92 212 1% 979 6% 16664
Lesotho 84 4 3% 21 16% 128
Liberia 85 8 3% 38 14% 265
Libyia 85 52 3% 222 13% 1677
Liechtenstein 90 45 2% 129 6% 2002
Lithuania 82 595 3% 3450 20% 17253
Luxembourg 92 403 2% 1358 6% 22556
Macau 82 66 5% 253 18% 1379
Madagascar 88 14 2% 87 10% 830
Malawi 87 12 2% 55 8% 678
Malaysia 78 4146 4% 22575 22% 102015
Maldives 91 22 1% 118 7% 1599
Mali 85 221 2% 1003 7% 14616
Malta 88 405 3% 1124 8% 14012
Marshall Islands 78 97 4% 563 25% 2249
Martinique 89 10 3% 33 10% 321
Mauritania 86 20 5% 43 11% 396
Mauritius 89 70 2% 278 9% 3115
Mayotte 46 31 45% 42 61% 69
Mexico 91 1403 1% 7862 6% 136648
Micronesia 81 5 8% 9 15% 62
Moldova 78 280 6% 1134 26% 4366
Monaco 91 24 2% 113 7% 1554
Mongolia 89 50 2% 286 9% 3214
Montenegro 91 31 2% 132 9% 1435
Montserrat 81 6 8% 14 19% 74
Morocco 85 1119 3% 4887 14% 33946
Mozambique 89 21 2% 105 9% 1153
Myanmar 88 51 2% 277 9% 2945
Namibia 91 110 2% 384 8% 4808
Nauru 97 8 0% 20 1% 1679
Nepal 85 500 3% 2018 12% 16387
Netherlands 89 3040 1% 24024 8% 283221
Netherlands Antilles 88 88 4% 208 10% 2144
New Caledonia 84 22 8% 48 17% 279
New Zealand 92 1076 1% 6198 5% 115494
Nicaragua 90 19 1% 127 8% 1689
Niger 89 6 2% 28 8% 346
Nigeria 74 4773 7% 21566 31% 70620
Niue 76 2 6% 8 24% 33
Norfolk Island 80 7 9% 12 16% 76
North Macedonia 84 401 4% 1369 13% 10868
Northern Mariana Islands 91 2 1% 14 7% 188
Norway 94 604 1% 3751 4% 85689
Oman 88 79 2% 374 10% 3782
Pakistan 79 4278 5% 20163 22% 89835
Palau 85 0 0% 18 17% 103
Palestine 79 44 7% 118 20% 591
Panama 77 28697 4% 204587 26% 783013
Papua New Guinea 91 9 1% 50 7% 728
Paraguay 90 36 1% 166 5% 3654
Peru 89 445 2% 2307 9% 25666
Philippines 85 2013 3% 8149 13% 63473
Pitcairn 84 4 5% 12 16% 76
Poland 89 1266 2% 5797 9% 63938
Portugal 89 890 2% 4905 10% 51235
Puerto Rico 92 55 1% 269 7% 4069
Qatar 88 136 3% 530 10% 5082
Reunion 91 10 1% 70 8% 882
Romania 77 2434 6% 9749 25% 39289
Russian Federation 77 20713 4% 156160 29% 542815
Rwanda 84 35 2% 178 12% 1451
Saint Kitts and Nevis 85 319 4% 906 11% 7883
Saint Lucia 88 14 2% 71 11% 656
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 89 64 2% 263 8% 3308
Samoa 85 10 4% 30 12% 244
San Marino 91 14 2% 47 6% 789
Sao Tome and Principe 84 7 5% 14 11% 133
Saudi Arabia 89 770 2% 3571 9% 39767
Scotland 92 1 5% 1 5% 22
Senegal 87 30 2% 193 12% 1662
Serbia 87 539 3% 2191 11% 19865
Seychelles 78 779 6% 2972 24% 12446
Sierra Leone 90 4 1% 20 6% 355
Singapore 88 1398 2% 8521 10% 87240
Slovakia 89 281 2% 1309 9% 14197
Slovenia 90 219 1% 1316 5% 25013
Solomon Islands 61 22 26% 41 48% 85
Somalia 76 80 9% 213 24% 873
South Africa 92 1973 1% 10582 6% 165096
South Georgia 83 2 9% 3 14% 22
Spain 92 3138 1% 19661 6% 307797
Sri Lanka 87 503 2% 2160 10% 21877
St. Helena 82 3 4% 13 19% 70
St. Pierre and Miquelon 70 5 15% 13 39% 33
Sudan 85 22 2% 133 11% 1239
Suriname 90 31 3% 94 8% 1199
Svalbard Islands 72 2 17% 4 33% 1

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