Frauds Committed by E-Commerce

Government have been receiving complaints regarding the frauds committed by  e-commerce companies. The number of complaints registered and number of complaints on which action has been taken during the last two years, State-wise is as under:

Presently there is no proposal for a separate regulatory framework for e-commerce under consideration. Directorate of Enforcement conducts investigations under Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA) and Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). Such investigations are carried out as and when any credible information, including those relating to frauds committed by e-commerce companies, is received. Action under PMLA can be initiated in appropriate cases where a case of fraud by an e-commerce company is registered by some other Law Enforcement Agency. Keeping in view the increased number of online fraud/cheating cases, the Government has also initiated steps for incorporating sufficient provisions for protection of consumers of online shopping/e-commerce under Consumer protection Act, 1986.

This was stated by Shri Jayant Sinha, Minister of State in Ministry of Finance in written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.