18 September 2018
According to Action Fraud’s cyber statistics, there were 12,372 cyber-crime reports made between October 2017 and March 2018, which resulted in victims losing a total of £28 million.
Action Fraud, the national fraud and cyber-crime reporting centre is led by the City of London Police. As one of the founding members of the Global Cyber Alliance, The City of London Police also run Cyber Protect, which along with Action Fraud was put in place, in order to investigate, detect, and protect individuals and organisations from cyber-crime and fraud.
Action Fraud’s statistics show that out of the 12,372 cyber-crimes reports, 4,796 were reports of social media and email accounts being hacked, which resulted in victims losing a total of £11 million.
It is most likely that the reported cyber-crimes were committed by criminals unbeknownst to the victims, as statistics show that around 50% of cyber-crime and fraud is conducted abroad.
In relation to the Action Fraud statistics, The Temporary Commander, Pete O’Doherty of the City of London Police, stated the following:
“Cyber-crime is a growing trend. In particular, criminals are targeting social media users and online account holders in a bid to make money and steal personal details.”
“To avoid falling victim, it’s important that people keep a strong, separate password for their email accounts. Always be suspicious of unsolicited requests for your personal or financial information and never call numbers or follow links provided in unsolicited texts or emails; contact the company directly using a verified and trusted email or phone number.”
To further protect yourself or your organisation from cyber-crime and fraud, you should try to eliminate any passwords containing personal data including: names or date of birth. You should also enable two-factor authentication if given the option, as this will make your accounts less accessible to cyber criminals. Another key element of cyber-crime prevention is ensuring that all apps and software are up to date, as updates usually involve security improvements, protecting you or your organisation from viruses and cyber-attacks.
Here at Three Graces Legal we can assist and support you or your organization with data breaches or cyber-attacks.
Please contact us for assistance at 0151 659 1070.
This article is provided free of charge for information purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied on as such. No responsibility for the accuracy and/or correctness of the information and commentary set out in the article, or for any consequences of relying on it, is assumed or accepted by any member of the law firm.
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