Vulnerability of Gen-Z to E-Commerce Deception on Consumer's Belief Categories in Online Product Recommendations Systems

Abstract

Purpose: Despite the convenience of the Online Product Recommendation (OPR) system, concerns persist regarding deception practices in online shopping, especially among consumers from the Generation Z demographic cohort, for which less attention has been given in the previous literature. Methodology/Approach: The impact of independent variables, namely   Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Enjoyment, and Perceived Risk, on Susceptibility to e-commerce fraud among Gen Z consumers has been studied. By conducting a mall intercept survey in four major metropolitan cities in India with a usable sample of 488 responses, the study empirically tested the data using SmartPLS 4.0. Findings: The study concludes that Perceived Usefulness and Enjoyment positively influence continuous usage intention, while Perceived Deception and Perceived Risk are negatively connected with continuous usage intention. It depicts that the Gen Z consumer's belief categories formed during their early years as digital natives sharpen their alertness to deception practices. Research Limitation/Implication: The study may not be generalised to represent Gen Z consumers as it collected data only from those who visited malls in the metropolitan cities of India. Originality/Value of paper: This paper exclusively investigates the interrelation of belief categories to continuous usage intention. Further, the intersection of perceived Deception is proved in light of the E-commerce practices.