7. Fraud

A crisis is a great time to try to exploit people’s fears and vulnerabilities.  This crisis is no different.  There have been some attempts by cyber-criminals to target industries and individuals, usually for short or longer-term financial gain.  

The Scottish Government’s Cyber Resilience Unit is producing a regular ‘Cyber Resilience Bulletin’ for business organisations, public sector organisations, charities and the general public.

We produced a ‘Fraud and Cybercrime’ factsheet, which outlines some of the basic things you need to be thinking about to avoid becoming a victim of scammers.

See the Action Fraud website for the latest information on COVID-19 related fraud.

Please report all cases of fraud to Police Scotland.

See Citizens Advice Scotland for information on common scams. 

Phishing
Phishing is when criminals try to convince you to click on links within a scam email or text message, or to give sensitive information away (such as bank details). Once clicked, you may be sent to a dodgy website which could download viruses onto your computer, or steal your passwords.

Phishing attacks are on the increase, with new COVID-19 related scams being identified regularly. Find out what to do if you have fallen for a phishing scam and how to report a suspicious email to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service.   

 

What to do if you have become a victim of cybercrime

The Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC) in partnership with Scottish Government and Police Scotland has launched the UK’s first cyber incident response helpline.

The free helpline for the SME community and the third sector will help victims of cybercrime understand what support is immediately available to them and assist them with recovery. If you have been a victim of cybercrime then you can contact the first UK cyber incident hotline run by the Scottish Business Resilience Centre. The helpline is run by SBRC in collaboration with Scottish Government and Police Scotland will also work with several trusted external companies around the country who can help in situations where an onsite expert is needed. Charities can reach the cyber incident helpline by calling 01786 437 472 weekdays 9am-5pm.