A new guide outlining the major scams people face online, and how to protect yourself from them, has been produced by Bournemouth University.
The Cyber Fraud and Scamming report is the latest publication from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Financial Crime and Scamming, and has been produced by the National Centre for Post-Qualifying Social Work and Professional Practice (NCPQSW) at BU with a number of industry partners.
Fraud is now the number one volume crime in the UK, with frauds committed directly against individuals estimated at around £6.8 billion per year (Annual Fraud Indicator, 2017), and 1.9 million incidents of cyber-related frauds reported in the year ending September 2018 (ONS, 2018).
The new guide outlines the major scams that the general population are facing online, including romance scams, social media fraud and phishing scams.
It draws on work carried out by NCPQSW and partners in relation to scamming and fraud and provides guidance to help people protect themselves and others from falling victim to this type of crime.
It provides useful tips on how to spot and prevent fraud, as well as what to do if you find yourself a target.
Conor Burns, MP for Bournemouth West and Chair of the APPG for Financial Crime and Scamming, said: “NCPQSW has sought to bring the research and information around the area of Cyber Fraud and Scamming into one useful document to help us all understand and protect ourselves from becoming victims.
“The scale of the problem means it is a crime we will find difficult to evade; therefore, we all need to take steps to protect ourselves, our families and our communities. I commend this report and its recommendations to politicians and policymakers of all hues. The scale of this threat is too large, and the risks to society too great, to be ignored any longer.”
The guide was launched at the launched at the National Scams Team and Consumer Empowerment Alliance Conference on Wednesday 12 June 2019.
NCPQSW were assisted in the production of the publication by the National Trading Standards eCrime Team, The National Trading Standards Scams Team, The City of London Scams Team, Cifas, Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), Jungo and SOLLA.
Professor Keith Brown, Director of the National Centre of Post-Qualifying Social Work, said:
“We are delighted to be publishing this guide in collaboration with our partners. NCPQSW has been leading national research in the area of financial fraud and scamming for a number of years now and thus, we were keen to produce new guidance and advice on cyber fraud and scamming.
“The guide is part of our extensive work in this field and we are committed to ensuring that great and consistent advice is provided to all in society, in order to help tackle and reduce this appalling crime and its often devastating consequences on victims.”
You can download a free PDF of the guide on the NCPQSW website.
