Cyber Fraud and Scamming
This booklet focuses specifically on fraud and scamming; however cybercrime acts as a wider umbrella term, encompassing a range of criminal activity. Cybercrime can be simply defined as criminal activities carried out via the use of electronic devices, the internet and other forms of information and communications technology. The increasing use of computers and smartphones has facilitated a growth in the use of these systems as enablers of all types of crime, including: economic related cybercrime; organised crime; malicious and offensive communications; cyber stalking and harassment; and cyber terrorism.
This booklet focuses specifically on fraud and scamming; however cybercrime acts as a wider umbrella term, encompassing a range of criminal activity. Cybercrime can be simply defined as criminal activities carried out via the use of electronic devices, the internet and other forms of information and communications technology. The increasing use of computers and smartphones has facilitated a growth in the use of these systems as enablers of all types of crime, including: economic related cybercrime; organised crime; malicious and offensive communications; cyber stalking and harassment; and cyber terrorism.
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Connor Burns<br />
M.P. Chair APPG Financial Crime<br />
<strong>and</strong> <strong>Scamming</strong><br />
The most recent Office of National Statistics<br />
Engl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Wales Crime Survey showed that<br />
there were over 3.5 million incidents of fraud in<br />
the year ending September 2018; over half of<br />
these incidents being cyber related.<br />
<strong>Fraud</strong> is the volume crime of the 21st century<br />
<strong>and</strong>, unless steps are taken to arrest its growth,<br />
this will continue to grow. With a rise in the number of people banking, shopping, dating <strong>and</strong><br />
sharing online this trend is only going to increase.<br />
The common perception is that the elderly are most at risk of scams. This is not the case for<br />
<strong>Cyber</strong> <strong>Fraud</strong> <strong>and</strong> Scams. Research demonstrates that all age groups are susceptible to online<br />
fraud <strong>and</strong> scams, with fraudsters targeting different age groups with different types of fraud.<br />
Anyone who is active online has the potential to fall victim to cyber scamming; most of us<br />
are online in one way or another <strong>and</strong> are therefore potential targets. This is why the All-Party<br />
Parliamentary Group on Financial Crime <strong>and</strong> <strong>Scamming</strong> decided to further its underst<strong>and</strong>ing<br />
in the area.<br />
In 2017 the All-Party Parliamentary Financial Group on Crime <strong>and</strong> <strong>Scamming</strong> was set up<br />
<strong>and</strong>, with the National Centre of Post-Qualifying Social Work <strong>and</strong> Professional Practice at<br />
Bournemouth University, worked with key national organisations in the field, including<br />
the National Scams Team <strong>and</strong> The Chartered Trading St<strong>and</strong>ards Institute to pull together<br />
an information resource pack: Financial <strong>Scamming</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Fraud</strong>. It was clear from this initial<br />
research that the issue is substantial <strong>and</strong> will not be addressed without a clear <strong>and</strong> consistent<br />
approach to tackle the problem.<br />
To this end, The National Centre of Post-Qualifying Social Work <strong>and</strong> Professional Practice has<br />
sought to bring the research <strong>and</strong> information around the area of <strong>Cyber</strong> <strong>Fraud</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Scamming</strong><br />
into one useful document to help us all underst<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> protect ourselves from becoming<br />
victims. The scale of the problem means it is a crime we will find difficult to evade; therefore,<br />
we all need to take steps to protect ourselves, our families <strong>and</strong> our communities.<br />
I commend this report <strong>and</strong> its recommendations to politicians <strong>and</strong> policymakers of all hues.<br />
The scale of this threat is too large, <strong>and</strong> the risks to society too great, to be ignored any<br />
longer.
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