With fraud set to become the most prevalent type of crime in England and Wales, we’re providing tips on how to protect yourself from falling victim to fraud and cyber crime.

There were an estimated 3.6 million cases of fraud and two million computer misuse offences in a year, according to an official survey. The Crime Survey for England and Wales included the offences for the first time in its annual report, which covered the year to September.

Separate figures recorded by police showed an 8% rise in offences overall.

How to protect yourself

1. Sign the Action Fraud alert-by-email system to get the latest trending frauds across the country. The alerts are also sent to the 250,000 people who have signed-up to the Neighbourhood Alert System.
2. Take the Fraud Defence Test. The test, developed by City of London Police and built with funding from the Home Office’s Police Innovation Fund, takes just a couple of minutes and is designed to help you understand how you could become a victim of fraud in relation to your circumstances and knowledge of fraud.
3. Take a look at Take Five, a new campaign funded by the banking industry to help you take a moment before acting. Tips include:

• Never disclose security details, such as your PIN or full banking password.
• Don’t assume an email, text or phone call is authentic.
• Don’t be rushed – a genuine organisation won’t mind waiting.
• Listen to your instincts – you know if something doesn’t feel right.
• Stay in control – don’t panic and make a decision you’ll regret.

Commander Chris Greany, the National Police Coordinator for Economic Crime, said: “The Crime Survey of England and Wales shows us that Fraud and Cyber Crime are the largest single crime types today, and the figures only include individuals and not businesses who are also victims.

“There are many ways we can all protect ourselves, websites such as Action Fraud and Take Five provide help and guidance as does our social media streams on Twitter and Facebook.”

Don’t Forget
Complete the new 2016/17 Cyber Crime survey, so we can see the full scope of Cyber Crime in Warwickshire, and across West Mercia, the West Midlands and Staffordshire – https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RegionalCyber16