Things to take note to prevent e-auction fraud when a consumer participating in an e-auction

An auction is a process of buying and selling goods and services by offering them, taking bids and selling the item to the winning bidder. Nowadays, E-commerce has also provided E-auction service. E-auction is an electronic “reserve” auction where sellers use internet-based software bid to provide goods and services.

Recently, there have many fraud cases rising in e-commerce especially in e-auction. Therefore, a buyer should protect himself when he is participating in an e-auction
These are the ways to prevent the e-auction fraud:

1. User identity verification
Identify user personal information is important because it serve as evidence to proof whether the user has made the transaction. It can prevent people using other people account to make improper transaction.

2. Insurance policy
The e-auction should provide insurance policy to protect buyers who buy goods especially in higher price. By providing insurance policy, buyers are encouraged to purchase more products because the risk of fraud maybe reduced by compensates insurance and it will gain buyers confident. Therefore, it will win the buyer’s royalty on the company.

3. Escrow services
This service involved an intermediate third party between seller and buyer. It should be trusted because it serves as intermediate party to regulate the transaction between seller and buyer. It will make sure the transaction process is performed under the auction rules. Normally this kind of service required high value of transaction.

4. Feedback forum
Feedback forum provides users with the ability to comment on their experiences with other individuals. Feedback forum allows users to read the comments that left by previous buyers on the seller or particular website. Users may evaluate the performance and eliminate the fraud risk without using the same website or same seller.

Buyers are advised to check the security of e-auction regularly because it will get better understanding about what types of fraud are occurred.

E-Goverment In Malaysia

E-Government is refer to use of internet technology as a place for exchanging information, providing services and transacting with citizens, business and other department of a government.

Application of E-Government in Malaysia

1. E-filling – one type of application provided by government Malaysia to the citizen, business, and other government by enable or allow them to fill up there income and expenses and income tax form through online. By having such application it would help Malaysia citizen save more times.
2. Renewal Driving license – government provided service that enable citizen to renew their driving license through online payment and then collect their new license at selected JPJ branch or other selected area choose by customer. Having such implication, it help citizen to avoid queue at Post office to renew their license
3. Check and pay traffic summons – enable the citizen to check either them have any summon through a website and make payment for those summon through online.
4. KWSP online account – which enable the citizen to check their balance of money inside their KWSP account through online and doesn’t have to purposely run to KWSP centre to check their balances.
5. E-Payment – which enable citizen to pay off their tax owe to IRB (Inland Revenue Board) through online by using credit card or debit cards.

Problems that encounter by Citizen to use E-government

1. Not all citizen know how to use computer and some citizen house doesn’t have internet
2. Citizen not much believe in online payment because doesn’t have any record of the transaction can be keep by the citizen
3. Sometime when the citizen making payment through online, them may scare their credit card password gets hacked by other people.
4. Slow loading page will make citizen frustrated to waiting. Because sometime got a lot of citizen accessing a same webpage then the server will slow down hence it will make the consumer become less patience to wait for the page load.
5. Not most of the citizen have credit card because for older people them doesn’t have any credit card hence them will be unable to using e-government.

Method to encourage Citizen use E-government applications

1. By providing a discount for those citizens who make their payment of tax through online or other payments through online.
2. Set an expensive transaction fee if make payment at post or other places. But if make payment through online then will not be charges any transaction fees.
3. Make a seminar to educate the citizen about the benefit of E-government to encourage them for using E-government
4. Build a centre that providing computer which allow citizen to online and make use of e-government applications. By having such centre, it can solve the problem that no internet at home
5. Put some e-government consultant at post office or other area that can make payment to consult those citizen who make payment through offline and inform them about the benefit of e-governments and encourage them to use e-payments.