Organisation launches as fraud increases apace

A new national charity has been launched to support members of the Scottish public who find themselves victims of a cyber or fraud crime.

The Cyber and Fraud Hub was formed by Cyber and Fraud Centre - Scotland in response to a rapid increase in calls from concerned members of the public to its incident response helpline a collaboration between leading Scottish cybersecurity organisation the Cyber and Fraud Centre – Scotland, Police Scotland and the Scottish Government, which was originally set up to support businesses through a cyberattack.

Last year, calls to the Cyber and Fraud Centre incident response helpline doubled, with

Some 60% of calls coming from concerned members of the public seeking advice following a suspected cyber or fraud crime.

Businesses will continue to be supported through the Cyber and Fraud Centre – Scotland with advice, intelligence and training, while the newly launched Cyber and Fraud Hub will offer tailored support through reporting and legal guidance, victim assistance, and recovering funds as well as improving the public’s understanding of cyber and fraud crime.

The hub will be the first charity in Scotland to offer this level of bespoke victim and advice support to individuals and will allow a greater number of people to access wraparound support at a time when they are most vulnerable.

It was spearheaded by a dedicated team who gave up their spare time to make the charity a reality. The team includes; Angie Lees, Declan Doyle, John Callagy, Jude McCorry, Alex Dowall and chair, Paul Atkinson.

Jude McCorry, CEO of Cyber and Fraud Centre – Scotland, said: “I recently saw a quote saying 'The fight against fraud is everyone’s problem, but no one’s priority' and we have seen this play out over the last year. In launching the Cyber and Fraud Hub, we have now made it our priority, but we need others, including senior figures in financial services and government, to make it their priority too.

“The Cyber and Fraud Hub will meet a vital need for support for individuals who find themselves in the daunting situation of being a victim of a cyber or fraud crime, the impact of which can be immense, mentally and financially.

“We’ve built strong relationships with our colleagues at Police Scotland and the banking sector to support our business community to be more resilient and we wanted to extend this support to the growing number of individuals who find themselves personally compromised as a result of this growing threat.

“Members of the public require a different type of support to get them through a cyberattack, where they are supported as victims of a crime as well as going through formal criminal proceedings. The Cyber and Fraud Hub team have the knowledge, skills and expertise to allow them to listen and provide reassurance as well as the tools to get people back on their feet.”

Assistant Chief Constable Andy Freeburn said: “I am delighted to be appointed as a Trustee of the Cyber and Fraud Hub and have seen at first hand the success of collaborative working to combat fraud and keep people safe in the digital world. 

“The Hub will be an invaluable resource and complement the support available from Police Scotland.  It will deliver first-class education and partnership programmes to help communities and individuals build resilience against cybercrime and fraud and offer specialised support to those who have become a victim of cybercrime.”