Cheshire Constabulary is launching a two-day ‘pop-up shop’ at Cheshire Oaks, designed to guide the public on how to stay safe online, and draw attention to the risks associated with internet use.
This campaign comes in response to the rising number of online crimes across Cheshire and the UK. According to Get Safe Online, the UK saw a 22% increase in cybercrime, with £286million of public money lost to cyber fraud in 2015.
On October 14 and 15, from 10am–4pm, members of the public will be able to join experts from Cheshire Police in their pop-up shop, who can provide easy to follow, impartial and free, online safety advice in the heart of the community. Covering topics from how to avoid scams and fraud to using Wi-Fi hotspots safely.
Cheshire Police Detective Sergeant Brian Faint said: “These latest figures show the scale and impact that online crime is having on individuals and businesses across Cheshire. By hosting this campaign at Cheshire Oaks, we hope to raise awareness of online crime in the region and highlight the basic steps people in Cheshire can take to avoid becoming victims of online fraud.
“As people continue to be affected by online crime, it is so important that we provide safety advice to the public so they can tackle issues as they arise. The event is about highlighting the real risk to the public, and giving them advice personal to them.”
Get Safe Online CEO, Tony Neate, said: “The internet is such a great place for people in Cheshire, but with cyber-crime on the rise, we want to do everything we can to help the public enjoy it safely.
“We’ve found pop-up shops are a great way of raising awareness of the simple steps we can take to protect ourselves online. Sometimes it’s easier to just talk about your concerns face-to-face and the pop up shop put on by Cheshire Police and get safe online is a great to do just that. Come down and meet the experts, it’ll be great to see you.”
The two-day campaign is being sponsored by banking, internet security institutes and other collaborative partners including Barclays, Kaspersky internet security, O2, NSPCC, Youth Federation, and Beacon Counselling Trust.
