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Home News room Latest Cyber Crime Statistics from the UK
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Have you ever searched for “UK cyber crime statistics”? We have. It’s not great. The same old tired cyber crime statistics, disorganised and from the same regurgitated sources, with very poor references to the data behind them. Today, all that changes.
We’ve compiled the UK’s reported cyber-enabled crime data from Action Fraud to give you all much clearer cyber crime statistics from the UK. We measured it between June 2022 to May 2023 to give a clearer picture of the impact that cyber crime is having in this country over a 12 month period.
To provide even greater insight, we’ve looked deeper into the regions within the UK, breaking it down further into individual and organisational differences.
Let’s take a look at the cyber crime statistics in the UK:
There were 214kreports of cyber-enabled crime in the UK.
Resulting in £1.7Bof reported financial losses.
£7.8kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime in the UK overall.
Consumer fraudhad the highest reports of cyber-enabled crime at 106k, which equated to 5% of all reports.
£758Mof reported financial losses came directly from Banking fraud, equating to 6% of the total losses.
Investment fraudhad the highest average reported financial loss per report at £30.5k.
Cyber attacks for individuals
For individuals, there were:
200kreports of cyber-enabled crime from individuals in the UK.
Resulting in £890Mof reported financial losses.
£4.5kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime for individuals in the UK.
5% of reported cyber-enabled crime from individuals came from Consumer fraud, resulting in £197M in reported losses. 17.9% were for Advance Fee fraud, resulting in £73Min losses. 11.1% were for Banking fraud, resulting in £155M in losses.
Highest reported financial loss for individuals came from Investment fraudat £459M. Investment fraud accounted for 9% of all reports but 51.6% of reported financial losses, making it the highest average reported financial loss per individual at £28.9k.
The highest number of reports based on age came from 20-29 year oldsat 4%.
They also had the highest financial losses at £161M(18.1%).
70-79 year oldshad the highest average reported financial loss per report at £10k.
Cyber attacks for organisations
For organisations, this was:
6kreports of cyber-enabled crime from organisations in the UK.
Resulting in £773Mof reported financial losses.
£52.7kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime for organisations in the UK.
8%of businesses were Limited companies, followed by PLCs (12.2%).
43% of reported cyber-enabled crime from organisations were Banking related, resulting in £603M in reported losses. 5% were for Consumer fraud, resulting in £122Min losses. 2.1% were for Investment fraud, resulting in £34M in losses.
The highest average reported financial loss per organisation came from Investment fraud, which stood at £144k.
Let’s take a look at the cyber crime statistics in London:
3kreports of cyber-enabled crime in London.
Resulting in £895.2Mof reported financial losses.
£23.4kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime in London overall.
Consumer fraudhad the highest reports of cyber-enabled crime at 8k, which equated to 49.1% of all reports.
£595.7Mof reported financial losses came directly from Banking fraud, equating to 5% of the total losses.
Public Sector fraudhad the highest average reported financial loss per report at £185.7k.
Individuals
The cyber crime statistics for individuals were:
35k(91.5%) reports of cyber-enabled crime from individuals in London.
Resulting in £337M(37.7%) of reported financial losses.
£9.6kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime for individuals in London.
6% of reported cyber-enabled crime from individuals came from Consumer fraud, resulting in £46.8M in reported losses. 17.3% were for Advance Fee fraud, resulting in £15.7Min losses. 11.7% were for Cyber Dependent fraud, resulting in £1.2M in losses.
Highest reported financial loss for individuals came from Investment fraudat £195.6M. Investment fraud accounted for 4% (3.3k) of all reports but 58% of reported financial losses, making it the highest average reported financial loss per individual at £59.3k.
The highest number of reports based on age in London came from 20-29 year oldsat 4%.
The highest financial losses came from the same group, 20-29 year olds, at £120.8M(35.8%).
70-79 year oldshad the highest average reported financial loss per report at £43k (1.5k reports).
Organisations
3k(8.5%) reports of cyber-enabled crime from organisations in London.
Resulting in £558M(62.3%) of reported financial losses.
£171kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime for organisations in London.
6%of businesses were Limited companies, followed by PLCs (18.6%).
9% of reported cyber-enabled crime from organisations were Banking related, resulting in £518.4M in reported losses. 32.4% were for Consumer fraud, resulting in £20.5Min losses. 13.6% were for Cyber Dependant fraud, resulting in £1.2M in losses.
The highest average reported financial loss per organisation in London came from Banking fraud, which stood at £325k.
Let’s take a look at the cyber crime stats for the South East:
3kreports of cyber-enabled crime in the South East.
Resulting in £135Mof reported financial losses.
£5.3kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime in the South East overall.
Consumer fraudhad the highest reports of cyber-enabled crime at 2k, which equated to 48.2% of all reports.
£60.5Mof reported financial losses came directly from Investment fraud, equating to 8% of the total losses.
Public Sector fraudhad the highest average reported financial loss per report at £40k.
7k(93.7%) reports of cyber-enabled crime from individuals in the South East.
Resulting in £102M(75.3%) of reported financial losses.
£4.3kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime for individuals in the South East.
1% of reported cyber-enabled crime from individuals came from Consumer fraud, resulting in £24.3M in reported losses. 19.5% were for Advance Fee fraud, resulting in £10.7Min losses. 12.4% were for Cyber Dependent fraud, resulting in £248k in losses.
Highest reported financial loss for individuals came from Investment fraudat £54.8M. Investment fraud accounted for 1% (1.9k) of all reports but 53.9% of reported financial losses, making it the highest average reported financial loss per individual at £28.4k.
The highest number of reports based on age in the South East came from 30-39 year oldsat 1% (4.3k).
The highest financial losses came from 60-69 year olds, at £28.1M(27.6%).
They also had the highest average reported financial loss per report at £9k(3.1k reports).
5k(6.3%) reports of cyber-enabled crime from organisations in the South East.
Resulting in £33.4M(24.7%) of reported financial losses.
£21kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime for organisations in the South East.
9%of businesses were Limited companies, followed by PLCs (7.3%).
2% of reported cyber-enabled crime from organisations were Banking related, resulting in £19.5M in reported losses. 34% were for Consumer fraud, resulting in £7.2Min losses. 15.8% were for Cyber Dependant fraud, resulting in £93k in losses.
The highest average reported financial loss per organisation in the South East came from Investment fraud, which stood at £219k.
Let’s take a look at the cyber crime stats for the South West:
3kreports of cyber-enabled crime in the South West.
Resulting in £73.3Mof reported financial losses.
£4kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime in the South West overall.
Consumer fraudhad the highest reports of cyber-enabled crime at 2k, which equated to 50.6% of all reports.
£26Mof reported financial losses came directly from Investment fraud, equating to 6% of the total losses.
This also had the highest average reported financial loss per report at £21k.
17k(94.4%) reports of cyber-enabled crime from individuals in the South West.
Resulting in £63M(85.9%) of reported financial losses.
£3.6kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime for individuals in the South West.
1% of reported cyber-enabled crime from individuals came from Consumer fraud, resulting in £19.1M in reported losses. 20% were for Advance Fee fraud, resulting in £7.8Min losses. 11.7% were for Cyber Dependent fraud, resulting in £194k in losses.
Highest reported financial loss for individuals came from Investment fraudat £25.5M. Investment fraud accounted for 1% (1.2k reports) of all reports but 40.5% of reported financial losses, making it the highest average reported financial loss per individual at £20.8k.
The highest number of reports based on age in the South West came from 30-39 year oldsat 18% (3.1k reports).
The highest financial losses came from 40-49 year olds, at £14M(27.6%).
70-79 year oldshad the highest average reported financial loss per report at £5.9k (1.8k reports).
1k(5.6%) reports of cyber-enabled crime from organisations in the South West.
Resulting in £10.3M(14.1%) of reported financial losses.
£10kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime for organisations in the South West.
3%of businesses were Limited companies, followed by Other (9%).
5% of reported cyber-enabled crime from organisations were Consumer related, resulting in £4.9M in reported losses. 36.4% were for Banking fraud, resulting in £4.4Min losses. 17.9% were for Cyber Dependant fraud, resulting in £13.5k in losses.
The highest average reported financial loss per organisation in the South West came from Investment fraud, which stood at £57.5k.
Let’s take a look at the cyber crime statistics in the North West:
1kreports of cyber-enabled crime in the North West.
Resulting in £94.1Mof reported financial losses.
£3.5kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime in the North West overall.
Consumer fraudhad the highest reports of cyber-enabled crime at 1k, which equated to 48.5% of all reports.
£34.6Mof reported financial losses came directly from Investment fraud, equating to 8% of the total losses.
It also had the highest average reported financial loss per report at £19.6k.
25k(92.3%) reports of cyber-enabled crime from individuals in the North West.
Resulting in £69M(73.3%) of reported financial losses.
£2.8kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime for individuals in the North West.
9% of reported cyber-enabled crime from individuals came from Consumer fraud, resulting in £21.7M in reported losses. 16.6% were for Advance Fee fraud, resulting in £7.8Min losses. 13.1% were for Banking fraud, resulting in £8.7M in losses.
Highest reported financial loss for individuals came from Investment fraudat £30.3M. Investment fraud accounted for 7% (1.7k) of all reports but 9% of reported financial losses, making it the highest average reported financial loss per individual at £17.3k.
The highest number of reports based on age in the North West came from 20-29 year oldsat 1% (5k).
The highest financial losses came from 50-59 year olds, at £15.6M(22.6%).
90-99 year oldshad the highest average reported financial loss per report at £10.5k (73 reports).
1k(7.7%) reports of cyber-enabled crime from organisations in the North West.
Resulting in £25.1M(26.7%) of reported financial losses.
£12.1kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime for organisations in the North West.
59%of businesses were Limited companies, followed by PLCs (21.1%).
1% of reported cyber-enabled crime from organisations were Banking related, resulting in £15.8M in reported losses. 25.7% were for Consumer fraud, resulting in £4.7Min losses. 4.7% were for Cyber Dependant fraud, resulting in £128.7k in losses.
The highest average reported financial loss per organisation in the North West came from Investment fraud, which stood at £215k.
Let’s take a look at the cyber crime stats for the North East:
7kreports of cyber-enabled crime in the North East.
Resulting in £21.1Mof reported financial losses.
£3kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime in the North East overall.
Consumer fraudhad the highest reports of cyber-enabled crime at 6k, which equated to 51.6% of all reports.
£9.4Mof reported financial losses came directly from Investment fraud, equating to 5% of the total losses.
Public Sector fraudhad the highest average reported financial loss per report at £36.5k.
5k(94.2%) reports of cyber-enabled crime from individuals in the North East.
Resulting in £15.8M(75%) of reported financial losses.
£2.4kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime for individuals in the North East.
5% of reported cyber-enabled crime from individuals came from Consumer fraud, resulting in £4M in reported losses. 19.2% were for Advance Fee fraud, resulting in £1.7Min losses. 12.3% were for Cyber Dependent fraud, resulting in £118k in losses.
Highest reported financial loss for individuals came from Investment fraudat £8.1M. Investment fraud accounted for 9% (454) of all reports but 51.2% of reported financial losses, making it the highest average reported financial loss per individual at £17.8k.
The highest number of reports based on age in the North East came from 20-29 year oldsat 7%.
The highest financial losses came from 50-59 year olds, at £3.9M(24.6%).
0-9 year oldshad the highest average reported financial loss per report at £12.6k (17 reports).
405(5.8%) reports of cyber-enabled crime from organisations in the North East.
Resulting in £5.3M(25%) of reported financial losses.
£13kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime for organisations in the North East.
8%of businesses were Limited companies, followed by Sole traders (6.9%).
1% of reported cyber-enabled crime from organisations were Consumer related, resulting in £538k in reported losses. 25.7% were for Banking fraud, resulting in £2.7Min losses. 4.7% were for Public Sector fraud, resulting in £730k in losses.
The highest average reported financial loss per organisation in the North East came from Investment fraud, which stood at £186k.
Let’s take a look at the cyber crime stats for the East:
7kreports of cyber-enabled crime in the East.
Resulting in £183Mof reported financial losses.
£6.4kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime in the East overall.
Consumer fraudhad the highest reports of cyber-enabled crime at 9k, which equated to 48.5% of all reports.
£98.3Mof reported financial losses came directly from Consumer fraud, equating to 7% of the total losses.
Investment fraudhad the highest average reported financial loss per report at £21.5k.
9kreports of cyber-enabled crime from individuals in the East.
Resulting in £93.1Mof reported financial losses.
£3.4kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime for individuals in the East.
2% of reported cyber-enabled crime from individuals came from Consumer fraud, resulting in £26.8M in reported losses. 18.8% were for Advance Fee fraud, resulting in £9.3Min losses. 10.7% were for Banking fraud, resulting in £11.3M in losses.
Highest reported financial loss for individuals came from Investment fraudat £45.1M. Investment fraud accounted for 8% of all reports but 4% of reported financial losses, making it the highest average reported financial loss per individual at £20.9k.
The highest number of reports based on age in the East came from 30-39 year oldsat 6%.
The highest financial losses came from 40-49 year oldsat £21.7M (23.3%).
90-99 year oldshad the highest average reported financial loss per report at £7k.
7kreports of cyber-enabled crime from organisations in the East.
Resulting in £89.9Mof reported financial losses.
£52.5kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime for organisations in the East.
3%of businesses were Limited companies, followed by PLCs and Charities (5.7%).
8% of reported cyber-enabled crime from organisations were Banking related, resulting in £15.5M in reported losses. 38.5% were for Consumer fraud, resulting in £71.5Min losses. 3.1% were for Investment fraud, resulting in £2.3M in losses.
The highest average reported financial loss per organisation in the East came from Consumer fraud, which stood at £109k.
Let’s take a look at the cyber crime stats for the West Midlands:
2kreports of cyber-enabled crime in the West Midlands.
Resulting in £81.5Mof reported financial losses.
£4.2kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime in the West Midlands overall.
Consumer fraudhad the highest reports of cyber-enabled crime at 4k, which equated to 49% of all reports.
£30.3Mof reported financial losses came directly from Investment fraud, equating to 2% of the total losses.
Public Sector fraudhad the highest average reported financial loss per report at £22.3k.
2k(94.6%) reports of cyber-enabled crime from individuals in the West Midlands.
Resulting in £67.6M(83%) of reported financial losses.
£3.7kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime for individuals in the West Midlands.
4% of reported cyber-enabled crime from individuals came from Consumer fraud, resulting in £15.4M in reported losses. 17.6% were for Advance Fee fraud, resulting in £5.8Min losses. 12.2% were for Banking fraud, resulting in £15.2M in losses.
Highest reported financial loss for individuals came from Investment fraudat £29.7M. Investment fraud accounted for 1% (1.5k) of all reports but 43.9% of reported financial losses, making it the highest average reported financial loss per individual at £20.2k.
The highest number of reports based on age in the West Midlands came from 20-29 year oldsat 1%.
The highest financial losses came from 70-79 year olds, at £16.7M(24.7%).
90-99 year oldshad the highest average reported financial loss per report at £28.2k (39 reports).
1k(5.4%) reports of cyber-enabled crime from organisations in the West Midlands.
Resulting in £13.8M(17%) of reported financial losses.
£13.2kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime for organisations in the West Midlands.
7%of businesses were Limited companies.
6% of reported cyber-enabled crime from organisations were Consumer related, resulting in £4.9M in reported losses. 41.5% were for Banking fraud, resulting in £6.1Min losses. 14.4% were for Cyber Dependant fraud, resulting in £40k in losses.
The highest average reported financial loss per organisation in the West Midlands came from Corporate fraud, which stood at £316.6k.
Let’s take a look at the cyber crime stats for Yorkshire & Humber:
6kreports of cyber-enabled crime in Yorkshire & Humber.
Resulting in £61.9Mof reported financial losses.
£3.5kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime in Yorkshire & Humber overall.
Consumer fraudhad the highest reports of cyber-enabled crime at 6k, which equated to 49.1% of all reports.
£26.5Mof reported financial losses came directly from Investment fraud, equating to 8% of the total losses.
It had the highest average reported financial loss per report at £20.6k.
The cyber crimes statistics for individuals were:
5k(94.1%) reports of cyber-enabled crime from individuals in Yorkshire & Humber.
Resulting in £49M(79.2%) of reported financial losses.
£2.9kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime for individuals in Yorkshire & Humber.
6% of reported cyber-enabled crime from individuals came from Consumer fraud, resulting in £13.4M in reported losses. 17.6% were for Advance Fee fraud, resulting in £4.8Min losses. 13.1% were for Banking fraud, resulting in £7.6M in losses.
Highest reported financial loss for individuals came from Investment fraudat £23.1M. Investment fraud accounted for 6% (1.2k) of all reports but 47.1% of reported financial losses, making it the highest average reported financial loss per individual at £18.5k.
The highest number of reports based on age in Yorkshire & Humber came from 20-29 year oldsat 9%.
The highest financial losses came from 40-49 year olds, at £10M(20.4%).
90-99 year oldshad the highest average reported financial loss per report at £8.8k (26 reports).
1k(5.9%) reports of cyber-enabled crime from organisations in Yorkshire & Humber.
Resulting in £12.8M(20.8%) of reported financial losses.
£12.3kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime for organisations in Yorkshire & Humber.
4%of businesses were Limited companies.
9% of reported cyber-enabled crime from organisations were Consumer related, resulting in £3.2M in reported losses. 32.4% were for Banking fraud, resulting in £5.1Min losses. 13.6% were for Cyber Dependant fraud, resulting in £45.8k in losses.
The highest average reported financial loss per organisation in Yorkshire & Humber came from Investment fraud, which stood at £94.4k.
Let’s take a look at the cyber crime stats for Scotland:
7kreports of cyber-enabled crime in Scotland.
Resulting in £18.5Mof reported financial losses.
£4kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime in Scotland overall.
Consumer fraudhad the highest reports of cyber-enabled crime at 7k, which equated to 59.1% of all reports.
£7Mof reported financial losses came directly from Investment fraud, equating to 7% of the total losses.
This also had the highest average reported financial loss per report at £21.7k.
8k(81.8%) reports of cyber-enabled crime from individuals in Scotland.
Resulting in £9.3M(50.2%) of reported financial losses.
£2.4kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime for individuals in Scotland.
69% of reported cyber-enabled crime from individuals came from Consumer fraud, resulting in £2.6M in reported losses. 1% were for Advance Fee fraud, resulting in £740kin losses. 8% were for Investment fraud, resulting in £4.9M in losses.
Investment fraud was also the highest reported financial loss for individuals. It accounted for 8%(306k) of all reports but 6% of reported financial losses, making it the highest average reported financial loss per individual at £16k.
The highest number of reports based on age in Scotland came from 20-29 year oldsat 4%.
The highest financial losses came from 50-59 year olds, at £3.4M(36.5%).
90-99 year oldshad the highest average reported financial loss per report at £8.7k (4 reports).
848(18.2%) reports of cyber-enabled crime from organisations in Scotland.
Resulting in £9.2M(49.8%) of reported financial losses.
£10.9kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime for organisations in Scotland.
9%of businesses were listed as Other, followed by PLCs (30.9%).
44% of reported cyber-enabled crime from organisations were Public Sector related, resulting in £250 in reported losses. 7% were for Banking fraud, resulting in £5.9Min losses. 13.6% were for Consumer fraud, resulting in £1.2M in losses.
The highest average reported financial loss per organisation in Scotland came from Investment fraud, which stood at £131k.
Let’s take a look at the cyber crime stats for Wales:
6kreports of cyber-enabled crime in Wales.
Resulting in £24.6Mof reported financial losses.
£3.2kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime in Wales overall.
Consumer fraudhad the highest reports of cyber-enabled crime at 9k, which equated to 51.5% of all reports.
£11Mof reported financial losses came directly from Investment fraud, equating to 9% of the total losses.
This also had the highest average reported financial loss per report at £20.9k.
2k(95%) reports of cyber-enabled crime from individuals in Wales.
Resulting in £21.2M(86.3%) of reported financial losses.
£2.9kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime for individuals in Wales.
2% of reported cyber-enabled crime from individuals came from Consumer fraud, resulting in £5.2M in reported losses. 16.2% were for Advance Fee fraud, resulting in £1.9Min losses. 12.7% were for Banking fraud, resulting in £3M in losses.
Highest reported financial loss for individuals came from Investment fraudat £11M. Investment fraud accounted for 3% (526) of all reports but 51.8% of reported financial losses, making it the highest average reported financial loss per individual at £20.9k.
The highest number of reports based on age in Wales came from 30-39 year oldsat 5%.
The highest financial losses came from 50-59 year olds, at £4.3M(20.3%).
90-99 year oldshad the highest average reported financial loss per report at £25.8k (12 reports).
377(5%) reports of cyber-enabled crime from organisations in Wales.
Resulting in £3.4M(13.7%) of reported financial losses.
£8.9kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime for organisations in Wales.
2%of businesses were Limited companies.
4% of reported cyber-enabled crime from organisations were Consumer related, resulting in £1.3M in reported losses. 35.8% were for Banking fraud, resulting in £2Min losses. 3.2% were for Public Sector fraud, resulting in £23.8k in losses.
The highest average reported financial loss per organisation in Wales came from Investment fraud, which stood at £26.1k.
Let’s take a look at the stats for Northern Ireland:
6kreports of cyber-enabled crime in Northern Ireland.
Resulting in £13.8Mof reported financial losses.
£3.8kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime in Northern Ireland overall.
Consumer fraudhad the highest reports of cyber-enabled crime at 2k, which equated to 9% of all reports.
£6.4Mof reported financial losses came directly from Investment fraud, equating to 3% of the total losses.
It also had the highest average reported financial loss per report at £20.7k.
4k(94.6%) reports of cyber-enabled crime from individuals in Northern Ireland.
Resulting in £12M(87.2%) of reported financial losses.
£3.5kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime for individuals in Northern Ireland.
6% of reported cyber-enabled crime from individuals came from Consumer fraud, resulting in £3.3M in reported losses. 15.1% were for Advance Fee fraud, resulting in £1.1Min losses. 10% were for Banking fraud, resulting in £1.1M in losses.
Highest reported financial loss for individuals came from Investment fraudat £6.2M. Investment fraud accounted for 9% (307) of all reports but 4% of reported financial losses, making it the highest average reported financial loss per individual at £20.1k.
The highest number of reports based on age in Northern Ireland came from 20-29 year oldsat 5%.
The highest financial losses came from 50-59 year olds, at £3.3M(27.3%).
70-79 year oldshad the highest average reported financial loss per report at £7.1k (210 reports).
194(5.4%) reports of cyber-enabled crime from organisations in Northern Ireland.
Resulting in £1.8M(12.8%) of reported financial losses.
£9kwas the average reported financial loss per report of cyber-enabled crime for organisations in Northern Ireland.
8%of businesses were Limited companies.
1% of reported cyber-enabled crime from organisations were Banking related, resulting in £1.1M in reported losses. 25.8% were for Consumer fraud, resulting in £20.5Min losses. 1.5% were for Corporate fraud, resulting in £302k in losses.
The highest average reported financial loss per organisation in Northern Ireland came from Investment fraud, which stood at £205k.
Based on a rolling 12 months of data from Action Fraud. The data is extracted from the NFIB Fraud and Cyber Crime dashboard. Only ‘cyber-enabled’ fraud and cyber crime offences amounting to a crime under the Home Office Crime Recording rules are included.
Cyber-enabled crimes are traditional crimes, which can be increased in their scale or reach by use of computers, computer networks or other forms of IT. Information reports and crimes reported directly from partner agencies and industry are not included at this time and will account for differences to Office for National Statistics figures for fraud offences in the same period. For more information relating to different types of fraud and cyber crime please see the Action Fraud and NFIB A-Z of fraud section on the Action Fraud website.
Data is based on victim selection during the reporting process and this has not been verified.
Losses are based on loss amounts as reported in Action Fraud recorded crimes and these have not been verified. Where possible, efforts have been made to review losses reported in excess of £500k but further investigation may be required to determine if loss amounts are a true reflection of the financial impact of the reported crime. Extreme outliers have been removed to limit data skew.
Region breakdown
Data from the regions is produced from the following police forces:
Data where the region was Unknown has not been included. Guernsey, Jersey, and the Isle of Man have not been included in the data.
Rise of AI for cyber attacks
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly being utilised in cyber attacks, making them more sophisticated and harder to detect.
AI-driven algorithms can analyse vast amounts of data quickly to identify vulnerabilities, automate tasks like password cracking, and even adapt to counter-measures in real-time to advance cyber attacks.
It poses a particular threat in the realms of social engineering and phishing attacks, where AI can produce incredibly convincing fake profiles or communications.
For businesses, this means that traditional security measures may not be sufficient, and there’s a growing need for AI-driven security solutions to counter AI-driven attacks.
Evergreen Phishing
Evergreen phishing refers to the types of phishing attacks that are continually effective cyber attacks and thus are reused in various forms over time.
Classic examples of this type of phishing attack includes fake bank emails, prize winnings, or tax scams.
The enduring nature of these phishing attacks makes them a consistent cyber threat that businesses must continuously educate their employees about.
Cyber criminals often add new twists to these evergreen techniques, making them more convincing or harder to detect, so cyber security awareness and training need to be ongoing.
Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS)
The RaaS model has commercialised ransomware attacks, making it easier for individuals with little to no hacking skills to carry out sophisticated ransomware attacks.
Essentially, it allows people to buy ransomware tools and services on the dark web, thereby democratising the ability to execute ransomware attacks.
This business model has the potential to increase the scale and frequency of ransomware attacks, affecting not just large organisations but also SMEs who may not have the resources for robust cyber security measures.
Sources:
National Crime Agency Action Fraud NFIB Fraud and Cyber Crime Dashboard NCSC UK Gov Surf Shark Money.co.uk
Power BI and Power BI Pro: Empowering SMEs with Data Insights Understanding and leveraging information effectively is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the ability to make informed, data-driven decisions can set you apart…
Disaster Recovery: Why It’s Essential for Your Business Many business owners are natural optimists—after all, it’s that positive mindset that helps them build and grow successful companies. However, when it comes to disaster recovery, optimism alone won’t protect your business…