One in five adult Scots who use the internet said they had experienced one or more types of cyber fraud and computer misuse in the year 2018-19. One in 20 said they had been victims of more than one type. Likewise just over one in 20, 5.8pc of adults in 2018-19 reported that they had their credit or bank card details used fraudulently in the previous 12 months.
That’s according to the 2018-19 Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS) whose questionnaire contained a new set of cyber fraud and computer misuse questions, bringing it into line with the Home Office’s British Crime Survey.
The type of cyber fraud and computer misuse that people were most likely to have experienced was having their device being infected by a virus. Most victims said that cyber fraud and computer misuse incidents had no impact on them, but they reported having changed some of their online behaviours as a result. Most victims of most types of cyber fraud and computer misuse did not report the incident to the authorities; and victims rarely turned to the police.
The only type of cyber fraud and computer misuse reported by most victims (74pc) was online theft of a bank card or bank account details. View the survey at gov.scot.
In 2018-19, as in past years, a majority of adults in 2018-19 knew little about the criminal justice system but were fairly confident about its operation. The victims of crime generally felt less confident in the justice system in comparison to non-victims. For example, only 40pc of victims were confident that the system deals with cases ‘promptly and efficiently’. Older adults and those living in the most deprived areas of Scotland were generally less confident in the justice system. The survey found that the likelihood of experiencing any crime was higher among those living in the 15pc most deprived and urban areas, and lower for those aged 60 and over.
As for policing, the proportion of adults aware of the police regularly patrolling their area continued to fall in 2018/19. Judging by those surveyed, Scots remain divided about whether the police presence in their area is sufficient. As the report suggested, it may depend on experiences and expectations of local policing; those in rural locations were more likely to feel that the level of police presence was ‘about right’ (49pc, compared to 42pc in urban areas).
The Scottish Nationalist government chose not to focus on cyber; rather, to hail that overall crime in Scotland has fallen by 45pc since 2008-09, and that one in eight (12.4pc) of adults in Scotland experienced crime in 2018-19, compared to just over one in five (20.4pc) in 2008-09 – a rate that remains lower than England and Wales with an equivalent figure of 14.9pc. SNP Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “While it is encouraging that Scotland remains a safer place than a decade ago, with fewer victims of crime, there is no room for complacency.
“Our firm focus on early intervention and prevention, including through widely-recognised anti-violence initiatives such as the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, No Knives Better Lives and Medics Against Violence, have been, and continue to be, critical to our efforts to keep crime down and communities safe.
“We continue to invest in Scotland’s excellent police service and in communities themselves – through education and a range of projects, to help people to stay safe, to steer those at risk of being drawn into crime away from it and to support those with convictions to turn away from offending.
“Where people do fall victim to crime, the Scottish Government has been investing millions of pounds and implementing reforms to strengthen how the justice system, wider public services and other organisations can support them.”
The Holyrood government said that it’s working with Police Scotland, and others, to raise awareness of cyber risks and how to become more resilient online.
