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

Auction is a mechanism by which buyers make bids and sellers place offers. Whereas e-auction means electronic auction which allows auctions conducted online. It brings a lot of benefits to the users but it has several limitations. Frauds in e-auction have become higher and higher but there are some preventions that can alleviate it.

User identity verification

If the users wish to have online verification, they have to offer their date of birth, identity card number or driving license number to the website to qualify for the highest level of verification. The service offered may have service charge on the users. For example, eBay uses the services of Equifax to verify user identities for a $5 fee.

Feedback forum

The feedback forum enables the registered members to build up their online trading reputations. The users can comment on their experiences of trading with others. If the particular seller or buyer often receives good comments, other users will feel relieve to trade with him or her.

Escrow services

It is a third party service which protects both seller and buyer. The buyer mails the payment to the escrow service and it will verify the payment and alert the seller when everything is checked out. After that, the seller ships the goods to the buyer. After an agree-upon inspection period, the buyer notifies the service which then sends a check to the seller. For example, i-escrow.com and fortis-escrow.com provide the escrow services.

Nonpayment punishment

It is an important policy against those who do not honor their winning bids. A warning will be given for the first-time nonpayment and it will result in suspension of account if the buyer commits a certain number of offenses.

E-Government in Malaysia : Its implementation so far and citizen's adoption strategies

Electronic Government is defined as the use of Internet and other digital devices in public sector to deliver services and information. The adoption of e-government integrates both the processing and the communication technologies since it integrates people, processes, information, and technology in the service of achieving government objectives. By implementing e-government, it will help to improve the government processes, connect citizens and build interactions with and within the civil society.

E-government is started since the initiation of Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) by Malaysia Government in 1996.E-government has seven flagship applications introduced in MSC. The seven main project that Malaysia has so far implemented system are electronic Procurement (eP), Project Monitoring System (PMS), Electronic Services System (E-services), Human Resource Management Information System(HRIMS), Generic Office Environment (GOE), E-Syariah and Electronic Labour Exchange (ELX).

Common problem encounter by Citizen’s is confusing before advancing the online e-government services over the equivalent paper processes and ensuring the privacy and security because some need to further clarification on what exactly should in the law. Besides, development of E-government has great uncertainty regarding technological change and negative impact because the technological developments are moving very fast; it is very difficult for Citizens to anticipate future impact in detail. Furthermore, some of Citizen’s have the lowest levels of access by digital divide because not all know how to use online access. Thus, these individual will lose the benefits of e-government.

Ways to encouraged citizens to use the government application is to build on a foundation of facts based on information from its citizens. Example, government asking the citizens on what they want rather than doing something that the government want. Second, provide internet access points in convenient places and relevant public places for citizens to use free of charge or promoting the E-Government through newspaper, advertising, magazine, radio.

In order to make the right decision and avoid falling behind, government need to identify and resolve the different issues that have arisen and implementing the good strategies.