Cyber crime | Most common UK online offences These are the ten most common cyber-crimes in the UK , with number of cases reported in the year to June 2016
1 . Bank account fraud – 2,356,000 Criminals trick their way to get account details . For example : “ Phishing ” emails contain links or attachments that either take you to a website that looks like your bank ’ s , or install malware on your system . A 2015 report by Verizon into data breach investigations has shown that 23pc of people open phishing emails .
2 . Non-investment fraud – 1,028,000 AKA Ponzi schemes . Examples include penny stocks , pension liberation , and investment in commodities , such as wine or art , that later prove worthless
3 . Computer virus – 1,340,000 Unauthorised software damages or takes control of your machine . For example : “ Ransomware ” encrypts your files and pictures then demands a payment to restore your access to it
4 . Hacking – 681,000 Criminals exploit security weaknesses to illegally access other machines or networks . They steal sensitive data or subvert machines for their own purposes , such as sending spam or launching other cyber attacks
5 . Advance fee fraud – 117,000 The victim is promised access to a great deal of money in return for a smaller upfront payment . For example , the classic “ Nigerian Prince ” emails scam
6 . Other fraud – 116,000 One example is “ solicitor scams ”, where a solicitor ’ s website is hacked , then clients asked to divert large payments into the criminals ’ bank accounts .
7 . Harassment and stalking – 18,826 Threats , abuse and online bullying – what ’ s commonly been termed “ trolling ” on social media
8 . Obscene publications – 6,292 Pornography that meets the definition of the Obscene Publications Act , thus generally involving some form of physical abuse
9 . Child sexual offences – 4,184 Assault , grooming , indecent communication , coercing a child to witness a sex act . These crimes may be being under-reported
10 . Blackmail – 2,028