A spokesperson said: “Tackling online fraud is a priority for Cleveland Police and a great deal of work takes place locally by our Economic Crime and Fraud Units – supported by the force’s 11 newly appointed specially trained fraud ambassadors who are based in all four of our local policing areas, as well as under Operation Sentinel – the initiative to tackle serious and organised crime (including fraud) with colleagues from the Northeast Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU) and Northumbria and Durham forces.”
They went on: “Hacking from email and social media remains the most reported form of cybercrime in the UK but scammers also target people through gaming and streaming accounts and even through their travel and online delivery accounts.”
Cleveland Police’s Economic Crime Unit Detective Sergeant Kev Appleby said: “Over the next couple of weeks we’ll be reinforcing national messages about how to protect online accounts by making use of passkeys, which can help keep personal information safe from criminals attempting to gain unauthorised access to email, social media or other online account so they can commit further fraudulent activity. One of the most common themes identified nationally is compromised accounts being used to impersonate family members and friends and there’s some useful advice on the Report Fraud website. Finally, I would urge people to look out for themselves and for more vulnerable family members and friends; we all have a part to play in tackling fraud.”
The following advice has been issued to prevent people from being hacked:
- Use passkeys wherever they are available. They are more secure and easier to use.
- Where passkeys are unavailable, use strong passwords, for example generated by a password manager.
- You should also enable 2 Step-Verification if you can.
- Who has access to the content you’re posting? Make sure your privacy settings are configured so that it’s only visible to the people you want to see it, for example only your friends.
- Beware of sharing personal details online: try not to share too many personal details that a fraudster could use to build a picture of you. They can use facts, such as your birthday, where you live, family relationships or pet names to steal your identity or make their fraud more convincing.
- If you are contacted by someone you know via social media or email: don’t automatically trust that person is who you think they are. Contact them through another route, such as in person, by sending an SMS or phoning them.
For anyone who has already been hacked:
- If you have been hacked, tell Report Fraud by making a report at reportfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.
The UK’s National Cyber Security centre has published guidance explaining what to do to minimise the damage and how people can regain access to your accounts. Readers can find this here: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/recovering-a-hacked-account
Cleveland Police’s website also has information on cybercrime and how to protect yourself: Cyber crime | Cleveland Police
