Following a global ransomware incident which took place yesterday we’re reminding businesses and individuals how they can protect themselves from ransomware and what they should do if they become a victim.

How to protect yourself:

• Don’t click on links, or open any attachments, you receive in unsolicited emails or SMS messages. The links may lead to malicious websites and any attachments could be infected with malware.
• Always install software updates as soon as they’re available. Whether you’re updating the operating system or an application, the update will often include fixes for critical security vulnerabilities.
• Install anti-virus software on your computer and mobile devices, and keep it updated. Bear in mind that ransomware can often be picked up by visiting disreputable sites including illegal movie streaming websites and some adult sites.
• Create regular backups of your important files to an external hard drive, memory stick or online storage provider. It’s important that the device you back up to isn’t...
  
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Yesterday four people were arrested as the result of two years of work from Microsoft and the City of London Police into the global problem of computer software service fraud.

In Woking, Surrey and Sussex Police Cyber Crime Unit arrested a 29-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman on suspicion of fraud. They have since been bailed.

In South Shields, a 37-year-old man and 35-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of fraud by NERSOU officers. Both were later released pending further enquiries.

Microsoft collaboration with police

The arrests have come about as a result of work by the City of London Police and forensic and investigative services provided by Microsoft analysing tens of thousands of Action Fraud reports and working with other affected organisations, such as BT and TalkTalk, to attempt to trace the source of the problem. This analysis and enquiries undertaken by the City of London Police have shown that many of the calls originate in India and that the worldwide...

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Binary Options are called ‘Binary’ because there can be only two outcomes – win or lose. To trade, all you need to do is bet on whether the price of something (such as a currency or precious metal) will rise or fall below a certain amount - if it is correct, you win and get paid. If not, you lose all of the money you originally invested. 

These schemes also allegedly involve, among other things, the refusal to credit customer accounts or reimburse funds to customers, identity theft, and manipulation of software to generate losing trades.

Binary Options trading itself is not illegal, but fraudsters have exploited the huge growth in popularity, with companies aggressively targeting social media platforms with flashy commercials promising impressive returns. Fraudulent Binary Options websites are often well-designed and professional looking, and brokers and traders - often working from scripts - will sound friendly, professional and knowledgeable. They will be paid on commission and have no interest in ever making...

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In the wake of the Manchester attack on Monday evening, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) is warning people to be cautious of online fundraising pages as it has emerged that fraudulent pages are being set up which request donations to support the families of the victims.

Spot the signs

Fraudulent fundraising websites often use topical events, such as a terror incident or natural disaster, to make it look like their charity has been created only recently in response, while the website may also be badly written or have spelling mistakes.

When you go to a donation page, fraudsters can record your credit or bank account details, so if you are unsure, seek further advice before donating any money.

Donate to an official page

If you do wish to donate, GMP is recommending that people visit the official Just Giving page set up by the Manchester Evening News in partnership with the British Red Cross.

Report it

If you believe you have been a victim of fraud or cyber crime, please report to Action Fraud. For up to date fraud and cyber crime alerts, please follow Action Fraud on Twitter and Facebook.

The City of London Police is warning about the growing problem of criminals using the reputation of prominent people to give investments credibility. Sir Richard Branson has spoken out after growing increasingly frustrated by fraudsters claiming that he, or his companies, are involved or invested in them.

How Binary Options fraudsters entice victims

Victims have contacted Sir Richard Branson when they have discovered that their investments are worthless or non-existent.

Fraudsters often use aggressive sales techniques or names of prominent people or business locations to entice victims to invest.

We have seen a large increase in reports of binary options fraud with the number of reports tripling in the last financial year, with the financial losses increasing from £2million to £13million during the same period.

Binary Options are not currently regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), so investments in them are not protected by the UK’s financial services complaints and...

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City of London Police are raising awareness to encourage people to report Hajj fraud. Law enforcement and figures within the Muslim community believe that a 86% drop in reports compared to last year does not accurately represent the full scale of the problem of Hajj fraud, with many victims feeling too embarrassed, ashamed or frightened to report what has happened to them.

Raising awareness among Muslim communities

To try and break down barriers, 11 police forces will be engaging with their local Muslim communities through meetings and via their own social and digital media channels with the assistance of the CBHUK. The City of London Police will also be holding a day of action to raise awareness with local travel agents and issue warnings around fraudulent practices in the Birmingham and London areas where this specific type of fraud is particularly prevalent.

The City of London Police will visit Gatwick, Heathrow, Birmingham and Stanstead airports for briefings in order to raise awareness of Hajj fraud and will...

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• New report shows over 325,000 internal and external fraud cases recorded in total in 2016, up from 321,092 in the previous year.
• Organisations successfully prevented £1.03 billion in fraud losses through non-competitive data sharing.
• Identity crimes (identity fraud and facility takeover) remain the biggest threat, representing 60% of all fraud recorded.
• 88% of identity frauds were committed online, compared to 30% of facility takeovers occurring online
• Cifas is calling for more emphasis to be put on educating people about fraud in order to prevent facility takeover from taking place

Cifas, the UK’s leading fraud prevention service, has released a new report called ‘Fraudscape’ which details the fraud trends they have discovered from over 325,000 fraud cases recorded by them in 2016. The data has been reported to them by over 387 organisations, including major UK brands.

Fraudscape showed that facility takeovers increased by 45% from 15,497 to 22,525. Over 50% of the facility takeovers...

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• £7.2 million lost, with airline tickets, online accommodation and timeshares targeted
• ABTA, the City of London Police and Get Safe Online are once again joining forces to warn the public about the dangers posed by holiday booking fraud.
• Number of reported cases has risen almost 20% year on year from 4,910 to 5,826.
• The three campaign partners believe that these figures are only the tip of the iceberg with many victims not reporting the fact that they have been defrauded.
• Findings from a new report reveal the scale of reported crime and expose common tactics used by fraudsters

The average amount lost per person to holiday fraud last year was approximately £1,200, but losses are not just financial; they can also have an impact on health. Over a quarter (26%) of victims say that the fraud had also had a significant impact on their health or financial well-being. Most worryingly of all, 259 people said the impact on them was severe, meaning that they had to receive medical treatment or were at...

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Wonga has confirmed a data breach where up to 250,000 accounts have been compromised.

The incident is now being investigated by the police and has been reported to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). 

Wonga has updated their website with further information and confirmed that they are contacting all those affected and are taking steps to protect them, but there are also some things you can do to keep your information secure.

Here’s what you can do to make yourself safer:

• If the password you've used for the compromised account is being used elsewhere, change it immediately. Use three random words with a combination of numbers, symbols and upper and lower case characters to create a strong password.
• If any of your financial details were compromised, notify your bank or card company as soon as possible. Review your financial statements regularly for any unusual activity.
• Criminals can use personal data obtained from a data breach to commit identity fraud. Consider using credit reference agencies, such as Experian or...
  
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• More than 1,500 people tried to buy tickets from a fake website set up to raise awareness of fraud
• More than 21,000 people have reported falling victim to ticket fraud in the last three years
• More than £17million has been lost to ticket fraudsters in the last three years
• Victims are most likely to be men in their twenties

More about the Surfed Arts campaign and how you can protect yourself from ticket fraudsters.

Recently Action Fraud and the City of London Police, in partnership with Get Safe Online and the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR), have been working to show members of the public just how easy it is to be tricked into buying fake tickets online. During a series of Facebook flash sales over 1,500 people tried to purchase music tickets from a fake ticket sales website called ‘Surfed Arts’.