Why are we addressing cybercrime?

Over a third (39%) of Neighbourhood Watch members in England and Wales believe cybercrime is now more of a threat than community-based crime such as home burglary. This is based on research carried out on behalf of Cyberhood Watch, a joint initiative between Neighbourhood Watch and Avast. Members of the organisation originally set up to protect the public against community-based crimes have become increasingly concerned with cybercrime, while almost a third (32%) believe the internet is a more dangerous place than before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. The survey found that almost one in five respondents have fallen victim to cybercrime during the Covid-19 outbreak, with 36% of this group losing money. Of those who suffered financially, one in four lost more than £1,000. A further 39% of the 28,000 members polled had experienced an increase in the number of targeted phishing attempts, reinforcing public concerns about the growth in cybercrime and Covid’s impact on internet safety.

John Hayward-Cripps, CEO of Neighbourhood Watch said, “Neighbourhood Watch was founded to help people protect themselves and their communities. While traditionally people view Neighbourhood Watch as largely focused on physical crime, over recent years our members recognise the very real threat that cybercrime poses to themselves, their friends, family and neighbours. We’ve heard countless stories from our members about the increase in scams, phishing and hacking they’ve been subjected to, with a significant portion of our membership feeling more at risk of cybercrime than physical crime.”

In this section, you can find advice and support on how to protect yourself and your loved ones from cybercrime.