2 in 3 would contact police if personal data stolen
Over two in three Brits would contact the police if their personal data was stolen online, according to the latest research carried out by Prolifics Testing.
Interested in cyber-security, Prolifics Testing analysed the latest data from the European Commission to establish the main action 1,040 Brits would take if they fell victim to different types of cyber-crime.
It found that the scenario of having their personal data stolen online by opportunistic cyber-criminals was the most likely one where Brits would contact the police (68%). Over half (53%) would also contact the police in the case of online banking fraud.
Half of Brits (50%) would also contact the police if they were being blackmailed for money in order to take back control of their device from exploitative cyber-criminals.
Interestingly, more than 20% of Brits would also contact the police if they experienced a cyber-attack which prevented them from accessing essential online services such as banking (28%) and if they received suspicious emails requesting sensitive information such as account logins (26%).
If Brits fell victim to online shopping fraud the majority would contact the website or vendor (44%) to notify them and resolve the issue as opposed to the police.
Similarly, if Brits discovered their email or social media account was hacked most would inform the respective email/social media provider (33%) in question and hope they can safely recover their account.
In the situation of finding malicious software on their device, the primary action by most Brits would be to contact their internet service provider (20%) to rectify the compromised device safely
| What primary action would Brits take if victim to these cyber-crimes? | ||
| Cyber-Crime | Primary Action | % That Would Take this Action |
| Identity theft (i.e. stealing personal data online) | Contact the police | 68% |
| Online banking fraud | Contact the police | 53% |
| Being asked for payment to get back control of device | Contact the police | 50% |
| Purchased online goods not delivered, counterfeit or not as advertised | Contact the website or vendor | 44% |
| Email or social network account being hacked | Contact the website or vendor | 33% |
| Cyber-attacks which prevent access to online services (e.g. banking etc.) | Contact the police | 28% |
| Fraudulent emails requesting personal details (e.g. account logins, payment information etc.) | Contact the police | 26% |
| Discovering malicious software on device | Contact internet service provider | 20% |
