5,607 fraud cases dealt with in past 13 months
LEICESTERSHIRE Police received more than 5,500 individual fraud reports over the past 13 months, according to research, with online shopping causing most concern.
The analysis, carried out by QR Code Generator QRFY, looked at data from Action Fraud and the Office for National Statistics to uncover how many reports each police force had in England and Wales over the past 13 months - and the most common type of fraud.
Action Fraud recorded 395,105 reports of individual fraud across the two countries – with a reported loss of £2.3 billion – and 89 per cent (351,451) of these reports were filed by individuals.
Leicestershire Police recorded 5,607 individual fraud reports over the past 13 months.
The most common category was “online shopping and auction” fraud, which refers to the non-delivery of products bought by a consumer, or the misrepresentation of a product.
The second most common category reported by the force was “other advance fee fraud”. Social media and hacking, which refers to instances where an individual’s social media and email accounts are accessed illegally, was third.
Marc Porcar, chief executive of QRFY, said: “The internet and widespread online connectivity has certainly created more opportunities for fraudsters to exploit people’s vulnerabilities.
“As more transactions and interactions occur online, there is a greater potential for individuals to fall victim to these kinds of scams.
“Fraudsters are constantly developing new techniques that trick people into handing over access to their personal accounts, or finances. Large-scale data breaches which expose peoples’ personal informaemail tion, also make it easier for criminals to impersonate individuals or commit identity theft.”
Marc has shared his top tips for avoiding being scammed online:
Be cautious about sharing personal information online: Only share information with trusted websites and be wary of unsolicited emails or phone calls requesting personal details.
If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication: This adds an extra layer of security to your accounts, making it harder for unauthorised individuals to gain access. Strong passwords should be complex and unique, and two-factor authentication requires a second verification step, such as a code sent to your phone, in addition to your password.
Monitor your accounts regularly: Check your bank statements and credit card reports for any suspicious activity and report any discrepancies immediately.
This way you can catch fraudulent activity early and minimize the damage.