A new campaign to raise awareness about cyber crime and how people can protect themselves and their families online has been launched.
Staffordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Matthew Ellis and Chief Constable Jane Sawyers launched the campaign, which involves the PCC’s Office and Staffordshire Police.
The Cyber Safe Staffordshire campaign aims to raise awareness about online crime to help prevent people becoming victims as well as reduce the amount of money criminals snatch from people through the internet.
Mr Ellis said: “The internet and its development brings opportunity but also new and changing threats from crime and criminals, whether for individuals or for businesses. There is more chance of being mugged online than mugged in the street and it is possible the criminal is thousands of miles away. This makes cyber crime a complex area for police and other agencies to tackle.
“The Cyber Safe Staffordshire campaign aims to raise awareness of cyber crime and also show people where they can access information to help to protect themselves and their family. This campaign is also about public services joining up across agencies to highlight a real threat to people living in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.”
The campaign sees a theme for each month starting with business crime, followed by online bullying and harassment and online shopping in the run-up to Christmas. A conference is also being planned for professionals and businesses and is expected to take place in early 2017.
Chief Constable Jane Sawyers said: “Most people use the Internet without any problems, however, just as criminals exist in person they also exist online. This campaign aims to raise awareness and to help people prevent becoming victims of cyber criminals by taking security precautions when online.”
Cyber crime is a crime such as fraud, bullying, theft or grooming that is committed on the internet using a device that can access the web, such as smartphones, tablets, computers or other devices. Cyber crime also includes crimes against your computer or device such as contaminating or corrupting it with viruses or taking-over your social media profile, email account or your website. What is illegal offline is illegal online.
People can join the campaign and become a Campaigner against Cyber Crime. All people need to do is share the #CyberSafeStaffs messages from Staffordshire Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Staffordshire (OPCC) which will appear on @StaffsPCC and @StaffsPolice .
More information about cyber crime can be found on the Staffordshire Police website at: www.staffordshire.police.uk/cybercrime
:: Free, independent support and advice is also available for businesses in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent from Business Crime Advisors, introduced by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Staffordshire. For more information go to: www.businesscrimematters.com/
