Article: Escalation of frauds in e-commerce posing threats to consumer fortuity during COVID-19 Journal: International Journal of Indian Culture and Business Management (IJICBM) 2025 Vol.36 No.4 pp.466 - 487 Abstract: The leap in the use internet and online transactions in e-commerce dispensed many consumer-related dilemmas regarding their rights and safeguards. This motivated the researchers to touch on the zenith of this problem and attempt for practical resolutions. The central question of this research pertains to whether during the COVID-19 period. E-commerce platforms did justice to the consumers and whether the existing domestic and international legal framework was competent to tackle the emerging digital conundrums. Part of the paper mainly analyses chronologically the development of law in India to deal with the matters of e-commerce and how the same has gradually developed in the recent past. This section of the paper attempts to find the lacunas in the existing laws and regulations which failed to address major problems that online consumers faced during COVID-19. The researchers have relied on an empirical study conducted on a sample of 126 consumers who have indulged in buying goods and services from e-commerce sites. The data presented has been analysed with the intention of understanding the consumer's perspectives about their experience of online shopping during this pandemic. Further, the paper has strived to analyse this consumer's dilemmas in light of the international legal framework. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Escalation of frauds in e-commerce posing threats to consumer fortuity during COVID-19

Authors: Shalini Singh; Shakshi Kothari

Addresses: Symbiosis Law School, A Constituent of Symbiosis International University, Hyderabad, Pune, India ' Symbiosis Law School, A Constituent of Symbiosis International University, Hyderabad, Pune, India

Abstract: The leap in the use internet and online transactions in e-commerce dispensed many consumer-related dilemmas regarding their rights and safeguards. This motivated the researchers to touch on the zenith of this problem and attempt for practical resolutions. The central question of this research pertains to whether during the COVID-19 period. E-commerce platforms did justice to the consumers and whether the existing domestic and international legal framework was competent to tackle the emerging digital conundrums. Part of the paper mainly analyses chronologically the development of law in India to deal with the matters of e-commerce and how the same has gradually developed in the recent past. This section of the paper attempts to find the lacunas in the existing laws and regulations which failed to address major problems that online consumers faced during COVID-19. The researchers have relied on an empirical study conducted on a sample of 126 consumers who have indulged in buying goods and services from e-commerce sites. The data presented has been analysed with the intention of understanding the consumer's perspectives about their experience of online shopping during this pandemic. Further, the paper has strived to analyse this consumer's dilemmas in light of the international legal framework.

Keywords: e-commerce; COVID-19; online frauds; consumer rights; consumer laws.

DOI: 10.1504/IJICBM.2025.150430

International Journal of Indian Culture and Business Management, 2025 Vol.36 No.4, pp.466 - 487

Received: 18 Mar 2023
Accepted: 10 Aug 2023
Published online: 13 Dec 2025 *

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Title: Escalation of frauds in e-commerce posing threats to consumer fortuity during COVID-19

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