ScamAdviser supports Dutch Industry-wide collaboration against increasing number of scams
Industry-wide collaboration against increasing number of scams
Veiliginternetten.nl, ECP | Platform voor de InformatieSamenleving and Thuiswinkel.org are today launching the Dutch version of the ScamAdviser's 'ScamCheck' at SIDN Inspire 2022. With ScamCheck, consumers can check the chance that a website is unsafe. “We are taking an important step in supporting consumers and entrepreneurs to behave more safely on the internet,” says Esther Mieremet of Veiliginternetten.nl.
Globally, the number of reported scams has increased from 139 million to 266 million. “The Netherlands is one of the countries with the highest density of digital users in the world and is now also a digital main port of Europe. As a result, we see that security and resilience against fraud are becoming increasingly important. Fraud is moving from the physical to the online domain. This affects not only companies but increasingly more and more consumers. We are taking on our role in making the sector safer," says Marlene ten Ham, Director at Thuiswinkel.org.
“By making the tool also available in the Netherlands, we are jointly ensuring a safer internet. Consumers can check websites, while entrepreneurs can better demonstrate that their website is safe. ScamCheck works together with consumers and entrepreneurs. Anyone can provide information about the (un)reliability of a website. This is how we strengthen this tool and keep it up to date”, says Marjolijn Bonthuis of ECP | Platform voor de InformatieSamenleving.
Input is used for this from Dutch parties such as Thuiswinkel.org, the Chamber of Commerce and international parties such as Trustpilot (for reviews), Quad9 (malware), ScamAdviser (scams) and Netsweeper (including phishing). In addition, technical checks are made, such as the creation date of a website and the domain name. This gives an end result based on which ScamCheck indicates the chance that it is a safe or unsafe website.
Check reliability of websites
ScamCheck can be reached via the website of Veiliginternetten.nl. The tool allows you to directly check the probability that the website is a legitimate website. ScamAdviser is both a major source and developer of ScamCheck. ScamAdviser works with an algorithm that is constantly being improved and works on the basis of a Trust Score. A Trust Score is determined by establishing logical relationships between various data sources. For example, an online store that is just a week old and already shows 300 positive reviews in combination with other features, may be unreliable.
Today the parties involved signed a covenant for cooperation in ScamCheck at SIDN Inspire 2022. Roelof Meijer, General Manager of SIDN, embraces initiatives that contribute to the safe use of the internet. “At SIDN, we do everything we can to recognize fake websites at an early stage and take them offline. But I don't have the illusion that we can completely solve the problem with that. It is therefore also important to give consumers a tool with which they can check for themselves how reliable a website or webshop is. The ScamCheck does just that.”
On behalf of ECP | Platform voor de InformatieSamenleving signed Esther Mieremet, project leader Veiliginternetten.nl. The tool will be put into use on 26 May. During the summer, ScamCheck will be further focused on Dutch users and ECP | Platform voor de InformatieSamenleving are actively looking for new partners for ScamCheck. Interested parties can register via info@veiliginternetten.nl.
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