Cost of Cyber Crime Rises

Cyber crime has cost Scottish businesses and individuals more than £7 million in less than a year, according to police. Officers are investigating 19 cases that have taken place since last July that involve targeting people through emails, phone calls or text messages in scams known as phishing, vishing and smishing.

Police explained that criminals use genuine-looking phone numbers or email addresses and claim they work for a bank or company that needs to verify the target’s bank account details or personal information, then empty accounts of money, with £7m stolen over 19 cases since summer 2017.

Police Scotland is calling for employees to be alert. Banks will not contact businesses or individuals asking for personal information and employers are being urged to ensure that staff are vigalent

Premiership football team Hamilton Academical was one of the organisations targeted by criminals. It was defrauded of almost £1m in a scam.