UK Is Seriously Worried about Cybercrime

Many UK citizens have become victims of cybercrime, including identity theft, hacking or abuse on social media. The losses of the country from online fraud exceeded £670 million per year (this is given that many cases go unreported), with the true cost likely to be much higher.

According to the recent research, where over 2,000 people were surveyed, more than 50% of them said they had been a victim of online crime. This category included online-based fraud, ID theft, hacking and Internet abuse. Of those, a half also said they felt violated by their ordeal.
In the meantime, the same research shows that only less than 1/3 of the cybercrime victims had reported the incident. Almost 50% of those affected had no idea who to report an online crime to. However, the experts say this figure is expected to fall as a result of the ongoing work of the national fraud reporting centre. The good thing is that UK citizens who had suffered cybercrime admitted that such experience had shocked them into changing their behavior for the better. For example, almost 50% of them immediately changed their passwords for stronger ones and 42% said they became more vigilant when shopping online.
The statistics showed that for the United Kingdom as a whole, over £670 million was lost to the ten most common online frauds within the last 12 months. These figures show how serious a toll cybercrime can take. This has been no more apparent than in the last weeks, when large-scale personal photo leaks of celebrities happened. Unfortunately, as out lives move to the online world, this is becoming more common.
The security experts explain that people can all take simple steps to protect themselves by such simple ways as putting a password on computers or mobile devices, forgetting about clicking on a link received from an unknown sender and always logging off from an account or website.
As for people who still do not know who to report cybercrime to, the UK authorities remind that if you think you have been a victim of online economic fraud (if you have lost money), you can report it to the organization called Action Fraud – online or by phone. Victims of online abuse or harassment can report it to their local police force. It is also recommended to read general advice on how to stay safe online at getsafeonline.org.