Web and Mobile Fraud

— Sep 25, 2023

UK businesses ill-equipped to deal with cyber attacks

Increasing numbers of UK businesses are struggling to understand how to combat cyber-crime, putting them at increased risk of attacks resulting in crippling costs from multi-million pound ransoms, litigation and reputational damage, according to the latest report from Savanti, one of the UK’s leading cyber security consultancies.

— May 24, 2023

John Lewis becomes first department store to offer web security advice

John Lewis has become the first department store in the UK to offer advice about staying safe on the internet, after customers with children cited it as a top concern.

— Mar 29, 2023

Businesses are now cyber prepared, but attacks increase in sophistication

More businesses are ‘cyber prepared’ but attacks are increasing in sophistication, according to a the latest resilience report from the Business Continuity Institute (BCI). Almost 90 per cent of respondents to the BCI report which examines the disruption levels and cyber resilience arrangements across organisations as well as the reporting and role of senior executives in the development of cyber resilience strategies, say their organisation has business continuity (BC) arrangements in place to deal with cyber incidents to mitigate financial losses.

— Jan 23, 2023

Putting customer service at the front line of LP in 2023

Comsec can now place preventative empowerment in the hands of call handlers.

— Jun 29, 2022

Cyber-Resilience and Taming the New “Wild West World”

“Oh, What a Tangled Web We Weave, When First We Practice to Deceive.” – Sir Walter Scott, 1808

— Mar 28, 2022

Retail staff using personal devices to access work data

One in five British retail workers have been involved in a data security incident or loss of secure data, according to new research.

— Aug 28, 2021

Smishing scams on the increase

Parcel and package delivery scams are the most prevalent type of ‘smishing’ text messages, according to new data.

— Jul 26, 2021

Government to get tough on fake reviews that mislead online purchasers

The Government is to hand the competition regulator new powers to tackle fake reviews to protect online consumers.

— Feb 25, 2021

Fake jabs sold online prompts call for better protection

The UK Government is still failing to do enough to protect the public from counterfeit fraudsters, according to the Anti-Counterfeiting Group (ACG).

— Oct 27, 2020

BRC launches anti-fraud toolkit

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has teamed up with the National Cyber Security Centre to develop an anti-fraud toolkit for the sector.

— Sep 30, 2020

Lives at risk says trade body as counterfeiting flourishes in COVID crisis

New reports stress the dangers of buying fake products online during COVID-19, says a global trade body, which is driving demand for more investment in security devices.

— Aug 26, 2020

Two out of every three UK companies have suffered brute force attacks against Microsoft 365 accounts during the past three months

A startling 66 per cent of businesses have been impacted - up from 48 per cent in the first quarter of the year, according to a survey conducted by Bluedog Security Monitoring.

— Jul 30, 2020

Lauch of TRACIT report on fraudulent online advertising

The Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade (TRACIT), in collaboration with the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA), has published a report detailing the growing incidence of fraudulent advertising and counterfeits on popular social networking platforms.

— Feb 26, 2020

Safety an issue for online sales

Two out of every three products bought on Amazon, eBay, AliExpress and Wish failed to pass relevant safety tests, according to research by Which?

— Jan 29, 2020

Fear of cyber

Fears over cyber security and the digital skills shift have topped the list of technology concerns for UK retail small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), according to a new report.

— Oct 28, 2019

UK cyber defences have denied 600 attacks in a year

The UK’s cyber shield has deflected hundreds of potential attacks in the last 12 months, according to a new report.

— Nov 30, 2018

Greater need now for European co-operation on cyber security

As the UK prepares to exit the European Union, there has never been a stronger case for cross-border co-operation on cyber-crime, according to a leading expert.

— Sep 28, 2018

Real Deal social media bid to root out counterfeit goods

A new campaign seeks to create greater awareness amongst the administrators of social media groups about their legal responsibility to prevent the promotion and sale of counterfeit goods.

— Aug 30, 2018

Fraud will outstrip prevention spend

Cyber fraud is likely to triple in the next five years as businesses fall behind on security spend, according to new research.

— Jun 29, 2018

Home alone workers pose a greater risk

Home workers pose more of a risk to cyber security, according to a new survey.

— May 31, 2018

Making the connection increases the risk

The ever-increasing list of connected devices is increasing our cyber vulnerability, according to a leading expert.

— May 31, 2018

App-solute fraud

New figures released this week highlight an almost 700 per cent increase in mobile app fraud.

— Apr 29, 2018

Tightening the net on the net

Cyber-crime fighting is being boosted by a new multi-million pound Home Office initiative to shine light on the so-called Dark Web.

— Feb 27, 2018

GDPR fines could become weapon of choice for cyber extortion

As cyber criminals concentrate on targeted, strategic, money-making attacks, they are likely to use GDPR fines as leverage to extort money from organisations, a report warns.

— Dec 14, 2017

Cyber insurance could create more targets

The increase in ransomware attacks is driving a growth in cyber insurance policies, but this could increase the problem, according to a new report.

— Nov 28, 2017

More diverse approach needed for cyber-crime

The UK must foster a new generation of diverse talent to effectively tackle the cyber security skills challenge, according to Mark Sayers, deputy director for cyber and Government security at the Cabinet Office.

— Sep 27, 2017

New figures on level of retail cyber attacks

Retailers are responding to cyber attacks on average twice a week, according to new figures, with 16 per cent of those affected experiencing an attack or an attempt every day.

— Jun 30, 2017

Get creative and don't take the gamble

Legitimate online gambling companies have been warned off advertising on illegal websites that provide access to pirated materials, thanks to a campaign organised by the City of London Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU).

— May 31, 2017

WannaCry is a wake up call for all businesses

The WannaCry cyber-attack which disabled many NHS Trusts in May, is a wake-up call for all businesses.

— Apr 26, 2017

Half of British businesses under cyber attack

Nearly half (46%) of British businesses discovered at least one cyber security breach or attack in the past year, a government survey has indicated.

— Apr 26, 2017

Peer pressure drives young cyber-crime

Peer pressure is a major driver of cyber-crime among the young, according to new research.

— Mar 28, 2017

BRC launches cyber security toolkit

The BRC has launched a cyber security ‘toolkit’ that will provide retail businesses of all sizes with a practical, step-by-step guide to prevent and manage cyber security threats and protect the customers they serve.

— Feb 27, 2017

Cyber Security talent shortage looms

New research conducted by the Centre for Cyber Safety and Education suggests serious talent shortage looms in the information security workforce.

— Dec 15, 2016

Millennials have a perennial issue with online retailers

Some 93 per cent of Millennials in the UK do not trust online retailers with their personal data, with more than half concerned about having their identity stolen online or through mobile activities, according to new research from LexisNexis Risk Solutions.

— Oct 27, 2016

Cyber criminals cost the UK £11 billion in 2015

New figures show that on average cyber-crime left each person over the age of 16 in the UK £210 worse off – but the actual cost could be much higher.

— Sep 26, 2016

PWC launches Game of Threats

Global accountancy firm PwC has launched itself into the fantasy underworld of cyber-crime to see how top executives would cope with a major online security breach.

— Sep 26, 2016

Life's a breach

UK firms have fared worse than companies in other major European economies on the cyber security front, according to new data.

— Aug 31, 2016

Global accountants increase front line defence on cyber-crime

Such is the perceived threat of cyber-crime that global accountant PwC is strengthening its front line defences with the planned recruitment of more than 1,000 technology specialists in the UK over the next four years in order to meet increasing client demand for digital, regulatory and cyber security services.

— Jul 29, 2016

One more into the breach

Data breaches as detected in the latest Jason Bourne film are more common than fictional, according to the latest research.

— Jun 24, 2016

Break point over Brexit point

As the UK presses the nuclear button of Brexit, one of Europe’s leading cyber experts predicts worrying times ahead.

— Jun 24, 2016

Shock new cyber-crime figures

Cyber-crime cost UK businesses more than £1.7 billion last year, according to shock new figures released by Get Safe Online and Action Fraud.

— May 31, 2016

Fraud On The Move

While a reduction in EU roaming rates is seen as a breakthrough in consumer freedom, mobile anti-fraud and revenue protection specialist Revector has outlined why the reduction may not be all good news for the industry...

— Apr 30, 2016

The Panama Papers - a gross security failure

While the eyes of most are focused on the revelations of the tax affairs of prominent individuals, including several world leaders, as exposed by some of the 11 million documents included in the recently disclosed ‘Panama Papers’, another very important facet of this story has been largely overlooked. How did this confidential information come to be exposed in the first place, and what does this event tell us about the security of sensitive information in general?

— Mar 30, 2016

Peeling the Onion

Why Retail Data is “Fullz Gold” to Hackers

— Mar 16, 2016

Target UK and the rise of the 'Silver Fox'

The UK has seen a double-digit rise in economic crime against corporates in the last two years, while the rest of the world has seen static rates.

— Dec 16, 2015

Teenage Mutant Ninja Hackers

Threat of children as young as 15 turning to cyber-crime without their parents’ knowledge.

— Dec 16, 2015

Counter Intelligence on Counterfeiting

More people are owning up to being duped online as new research reveals that almost one quarter of consumers have received items that turned out to be counterfeit, including fashion or footwear, electronics and digital content.

— Dec 9, 2015

The Internet of (Hackable) Things

Everything on the Internet is potentially hackable.

— Nov 30, 2015

Attacking the cyber hackers

The UK is to spend almost £2 billion to weaponise its digital powers against cyber hackers, terrorist groups, criminal gangs and rogue states, the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne announced this month.

— Nov 30, 2015

30 per cent increase in online fraud

Christmas has come early for Internet scammers as brand new benchmark research estimates a 30 per cent increase in online fraud attempts in the last 12 months.

— Oct 29, 2015

Brits find the Internet a more dangerous place

In the same week that broadband giant TalkTalk had its four million customer’s data compromised by hackers, a new survey revealed the majority of Brits think the internet is getting more dangerous.

— Oct 1, 2015

Forensics under pressure as hackers 'leave no trace'

Hackers are getting more sophisticated in leaving fewer digital footprints to investigate, according to fraud industry experts.

— Aug 28, 2015

Interpol focuses upon the Darknet

Interpol has launched an initiative to keep businesses out of the dark.

— Jul 1, 2015

From the critical to the hypocritical – why fake reviews have become big business

Online reviews used to be the consumer comfort blanket when purchasing merchandise or services over the Internet – but not any more after a damning indictment of fake critiques by the Competition and Market Authority (CMA).

— Jul 1, 2015

Social media pirates targeted in biggest ever operation

One of the biggest enforcement operations ever seen in the England, Wales and Northern Ireland has been launched to combat piracy on social media.

— May 28, 2015

Dial 'M' for mobile fraud

More retailers are enjoying the benefits of mobile commerce but many are not yet doing enough to counteract the fraud risks that come with this opportunity, a new study suggests.

— Nov 28, 2014

Europe tackles the ‘dark web’

The so-called ‘dark web’ has become the target of co-ordinated activity by law enforcement bodies in Europe and the US to disrupt organised cyber-crime activity.

— Nov 28, 2014

Cyber-crime – who’s responsible?

American retailers could soon be made responsible for cyber-crime if legislation in the US is successful.

— Oct 27, 2014

Almost half of fraud crimes are identity related

Data-driven identity crimes – scams carried out using a victim’s identity details to obtain new accounts or take over existing ones – represented over 45% of all the confirmed frauds identified in the first three quarters of 2014, according to CIFAS.

— Sep 29, 2014

European Action on Cyber-crime

An initiative has been launched to further strengthen the fight against cyber-crime in the European Union and beyond.

— Sep 23, 2014

Top Ten Internet Threats to Retailers

The U.K. continues to lead Europe in e-commerce sales, with website purchases representing €207 billion according to the latest figures.

— Aug 15, 2014

One in three businesses fell victim to cyber-crime last year

A third of businesses were hit by a cyber attack in the last 12 months and almost two-thirds expect to fall victim before 2015, according to new research into the concerns of IT directors.

— Jun 23, 2014

Consumers get anti-social over social media

Retailers are not getting ‘likes’ for their Facebook profiles or hashtags for their Twitter presence, according to the latest research. Consumers are wary of retailers with a social media presence and don’t use social networking sites when it comes to e-commerce, a poll of more than 1000 shoppers has found.

— Jun 23, 2014

National Retail Federation (NRF) publishes study on E-Fencing

Bargain hunters beware: Your online auction purchase might be stolen goods. Retailers estimate that one-third of auction and blog sites' listings for "new in box" or "new with tags" items are actually goods that were stolen through organised retail crime or otherwise fraudulently obtained, according to a recent National Retail Federation report.

— Apr 30, 2014

2013 - The year of the Internet Scammer

Last year was the busiest time on record for Internet scammers and a great year to go ‘phishing’. This was the finding of Panda Security which has published the results of its 2013 Annual Report, drawn up by PandaLabs.

— Mar 20, 2014

Social media sites becoming a concern

Concern is growing over the use of social media sites for what is a highly anti-social activity – the selling of stolen goods.

— Nov 26, 2013

More Complex and Ever More Mobile

As the separate tracks of online and mobile technology continue to evolve and converge, the challenges and the opportunities facing fraud control professionals are maturing at a similar rate. New technologies, or the application of existing technologies in new ways, can bring both risks and rewards. Fraud control teams and investigators need to come to terms with an emerging new world order in which, not only consumers, but also autonomous devices, are responsible for some transactions, and where threats from other sectors such as banking and the unregulated payments space are increasingly relevant to anyone engaged in e-commerce. The Deep Web The phrase “Deep Web” refers to that part of the Internet that is not indexed by traditional search engines. Estimates vary, but it is commonly thought that the data held in Deep Web repositories is 500 times greater than that normally searched by conventional means.