An email reporting programme from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has received over 10.5 million forwarded suspicious messages.

This resulted in the takedown of 76,000 online scams, including campaigns piggybacking off the NHS, online delivery companies and cryptocurrency investments.

Since being launched in April 2020, the NCSC’s Suspicious Email Reporting Service has helped the group remove scam URLs. It also helps identify new trends and patterns in phishing emails, allowing law enforcement to take appropriate action.

The pandemic has brought with it a wave of scams, fraud and cyberattacks. 91% of UK organisations were hit by phishing attacks in 2021. The number of cases of fraud in Scotland has also increased by two thirds in 2021 compared to the previous two years.

Additionally, the NCSC quoted statistics saying that 2021 saw a 161% increase in unauthorised access to personal information offences – including hacking.

NCSC Chief Executive Lindy Cameron said: “The British public’s response to our Suspicious Email Reporting Service has been incredible and led to the removal of thousands of online scams.

“But there is even more we can do and by following our Cyber Aware steps to secure online accounts – starting with email – people will dramatically reduce risks including financial losses and personal data breaches.

“We all have a role to play in our collective cyber security and I urge everyone to follow our Cyber Aware advice to make life even harder for the scammers.”

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To better combat email fraud attempts, the NCSC recommends using passwords made up of three random words and enable two-step verification (2SV).

Using three random words allows people to set passwords that are unique, strong enough and easier to remember. Enabling two-step verification significantly decreases the likelihood of an account being hacked.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “I am determined that we do all we can to put an end to cyber-crime and stop criminals who exploit our vulnerabilities online.

“It’s particularly important at times of heightened international tension that we are all vigilant to the risk of cyber security breaches and follow the simple steps set out in the Cyber Aware campaign.”

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