Hertfordshire residents urged to report cyber crime and fraud

Morris Bright said the cost of cyber crime was probably being under-estimated because some victims were too embarrassed to report it

People have been urged to report suspicious emails or text messages as levels of fraud and cyber crime rise.

Hertfordshire Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Lewis Cocking said more than half of such crimes reported in the county occur in the home or online.

Despite successful recovery attempts, he said it was difficult to correctly estimate how much money was being lost.

"I suspect the £2.5m we have got back is a small drop in the ocean, in terms of what's actually out there," he said.

"If we look at how crime has changed, more than 50% of crime in Hertfordshire is either in someone's own home or online."

He acknowledged that those trying to commit these crimes were often very intelligent and the materials produced looked "very real".

The county council's public health and community safety cabinet panel was looking at the police and crime commissioner's annual report for 2022-23.

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The council's executive member, Morris Bright, echoed the need for residents to report these crimes.

He suggested that "personal embarrassment" might be preventing some people from reporting cyber crime.

He said it was important to make sure that "we get people to report - and find safe ways to report - crimes, as much as we can".

Information sessions were being held across the county, in a bid to show residents what they could do try to stop being duped.

Mr Cocking said: "I urge everyone who has fallen victim to fraud and cyber crime, please report it - even if you report it anonymously around what has happened to you and how much you have lost."

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