WEST Mercia Police’s cyber crime fighter PC Rebecca Smith brought gasps of horror from members of Redditch charity Carers Careline as she revealed the millions of pounds swindled out of honest citizens by online fraudsters.
PC Smith detailed the insidious and subtle ways people can fall prey to cyber criminals and the many techniques they use to persuade people to part with their personal information – and their money.
She explained cyber crime is the largest criminal activity in the UK with millions of pounds taken from people in the West Mercia force area alone – and with only a tiny proportion of online fraud actually reported, she said the real figure was much, much higher.
Thankfully she also provided crucial advice on how people can protect themselves from the fraudsters, both online and from phone calls claiming to be from the police or the bank.
Redditch based charity Carers Careline, based in the Ecumenical Centre in Redditch town centre, plays a crucial role in helping promote the health and mental and emotional wellbeing of adult carers in Redditch through social gatherings, advice and support.
PC Smith was the keynote speaker at their Easter gathering generously supported by local donations of Easter eggs for their fundraising raffle.
