According to a report by the Industrial Development Corporation released on Friday, more than 50% of the software offered on Internet auction sites was counterfeit or had components that were counterfeit.
South Africa experienced a sudden jump in Internet use two years ago when users increased from 3.6 million in 2005 to 5.1-million in 2006. These figures amount to more than 10% of the population.
The country is estimated to now have close to 12% Internet penetration.
IT research company World Wide Worx estimated that online retailers made more than R200 million in sales last year.
With rising usage, the Business Software Alliance has urged consumers to be wary when making purchases via the Internet.
Chairman of the alliance, Alastair de Wet, said, “If it looks too good to be true then it probably is.”
Consumers who are new to the Internet often follow prompts from dubious e-mails that offer attractive deals or easy ways to win competitions.
A director of Paperless Consultants, Tshepo Tsele, said, “The security aspect mostly depends on you, the user.
“Companies will continually try to shut down counterfeit software distributors, such as Napster, Kazaa and other sites.”
Counterfeit software means users can't get vital support services and virus updates.
According to De Wet, there are several basic checks that you can make to ensure the online store from which you are purchasing is legitimate and that the software they offer is authentic.
“First, only buy from reputable or credible online stores. Look for stores displaying the South African Forum of eTailers (Safe) to make online purchases.
“Research the site. Seek responses from previous users,” he said.
“Once the software is purchased, do a thorough inspection of the label and packaging before opening it. If it doesn't look genuine, the product it contains is probably not genuine,” De Wet warned.
Source: The Times
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