Essex is the hotspot for cyber fraud cases in the UK, new research by the UK’s largest independent tech retailer Ebuyer has revealed. Contributor Paul Lyon, IT Director – Ebuyer.
The research was conducted by analysing estimates from the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) on fraud and computer misuse. Focusing on the number of fraud offences which were referred to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, it has been revealed that Essex had the highest rate of the crime per 1,000 population, with 9,987 offences reported from June 2016 to July 2017- up from 8,172 the previous year.
Although London Metropolitan Police reported the highest figure for fraud offences (42,490), its rate per 1,000 was lower, putting the capital in second place. Thames Valley was also revealed as a hotspot for the crime, with 10,835 offences reported during the 12 month period. Looking at the highest number of fraud crimes reported as compared to the area’s population from June 2016 to July 2017, the top 10 cyber fraud hotspots are:
- Essex (9,987) – rate of 6 per 1,000 population
- London (42,490) – rate of 5 per 1,000 population
- Thames Valley (10,835) – rate of 5 per 1,000 population
- Kent (8,249) – rate of 5 per 1,000 population
- Hertfordshire (6,381) – rate of 5 per 1,000 population
- Surrey (6,240) – rate of 5 per 1,000 population
- Northamptonshire (3,507) – rate of 5 per 1,000 population
- Warwickshire (2,652) – rate of 5 per 1,000 population
- Greater Manchester (10,540) – rate of 4 per 1,000 population
- Hampshire (7,646) rate of 4 per 1,000 population
Looking at other crime committed online, during the same time period there were 33,418 cases of harassment and stalking, 8,012 recorded offences of obscene publications and 2,081 reported cases of blackmail.
Paul Lyon, IT Director at Ebuyer, said: “These results reveal a staggering amount of online crime is committed each year across the UK, and we have to be as careful as we possibly can be to not fall foul of some of the tactics criminals use to commit their offences from behind a keyboard. Ensuring security software is kept up to date, shopping on sites that are secure and being vigilant to not click on any emails you aren’t expecting are just a few tips to make sure you keep your details safe when you are online.”
