Cybercrime affecting the UK

Cybercrime in the UK

How careful are you with your emails? Do you check how authentic an email is before you click on it? If you aren't, then you should be as cybercrime is affecting the UK at a staggering rate.

Any precautions you apply to your home emails should also be applied to your business emails. In fact, your Internet security is paramount.

In Britain, someone is targeted by cybercrime every seven seconds as more than 420,000 scam emails are sent every hour to UK computer users, a report reveals.

According to the insurer CPP, in the last 12 months, 3.7 billion phishing messages were sent to Britons.

The emails are often sent by criminals posing as the Internet operation of major banks and are designed to trick victims into logging into a bogus bank website and giving up their account details and passwords.

Falling victim to cybercrime

According to CPP, a quarter of people admitted to becoming victims of e-fraudsters, with the average victim losing over GBP£285 each.

Fake banking emails are the most common method used by criminals, with 55 percent of those targeted receiving seemingly legitimate e-correspondence from high street banks.

The study found that over half received false lottery or competition prize draws, while a further one in two was targeted by foreign cons such as those generated by Nigerian gangs.

CPP pointed to industry figures showing that online banking fraud rose by 132 percent in the last 12 months.

A survey of more than 2,000 people showed that nearly half of all Brits (46 percent) worry that their card details could be used to make illegal online purchases.

Cybercrime on social networking

As social networking continues to grow for not only individuals, but businesses at as well, fraudsters are also exploiting the explosion of the sites and current defaults in privacy settings to target victims.

Nearly one fifth of Brits have received phony Facebook messages claiming to be from friends or family. One in 10 also fear that fraudsters are using Twitter to follow them and a third are concerned that their social networking account could be hacked into.

Commenting on the report, Nicole Sanders, identity fraud expert at CPP said: "It seems that not a day goes by without a new case of online fraud hitting the headlines. But what's concerning is that consumers are still falling victim.

"Fraudsters are becoming ever more skilled in their techniques and tactics. It can be extremely difficult to spot a legitimate email from a scam, so we advise caution at all times when online. And as social networking sites become increasingly popular, people need to continue to be mindful of what they post."

Protecting yourself from cybercrime

CPP advises the following to reduce the chances of falling victim to online fraud:

• Install anti-virus protection which scans for viruses.

• Install anti-phishing tools which identify phishing emails that trick users into giving away personal information.

• Install an active firewall, which updates and upgrades automatically, preventing hackers from gaining access to your PC or laptop.

• Keep your personal information safe. If someone asks for your personal details online ask yourself why they would need them.

• Be aware that banks will never ask for your personal information online. If you are unsure whether an email is genuine, ring your bank and ask them.

• If you store personal information on your PC, install up-to-date security software.

• Remember the golden rule: identity thieves are experts at spotting an opportunity to steal your identity and all they need are a few personal details.

• On social networking sites, keep your privacy settings set to friends only and never display your address, phone number or date of birth.

Jodie Humphries

Jodie Humphries graduated from Bath Spa University with a BA Hons in Creative Writing in 2008. She has worked for GDS Publishing for the digital group since July 2009. She has previous experience with writing for the web, running her own website since April 2007.

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