HOW TO REPORT CYBERCRIME IN THE UK
If you think you have fallen victim to a cybercrime in the UK, you need to know how to report it.
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If your organisation is based in the UK you should follow the reporting process below;
REPORTING CYBER CRIME TO ACTION FRAUD
If you are a business, charity or organisation that is currently suffering a live cyber-attack, then please call Action Fraud's 24/7 helpline on 0300 123 2040.​
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You can report cybercrime, fraud and attempted fraud to the national fraud reporting service: Action Fraud. Action Fraud is the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime and takes crime reports on behalf of the police and can provide you with advice and guidance. They assess each crime and where possible, pass it out to most relevant law enforcement agency to investigate or offer bespoke protect advice.
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Report to Action Fraud at www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.
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OTHER USEFUL CONTACTS
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REPORTING STALKING, HARASSMENT AND ONLINE GROOMING
If you want to report any other sort of online crime such as stalking, harassment or fears about online grooming, contact your local Police force by calling 101.
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To report offensive or abuse behaviour on social media, use the report tool within the website or application itself. You can find out how to do this at Report Harmful Content.
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If you discover an online image or video of child sexual abuse, please report it online to the Internet Watch Foundation.
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If you are worried about online child sexual abuse, you can report it online to Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command (CEOP).
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Young people who need advice about their online concerns can speak to Childline by calling 0800 1111.
Depending on the nature of the crime and how you’ve been affected by it, you may want to contact Victim Support at www.victimsupport.org.uk or by calling 0808 1689111. You can contact Victim Support regardless of when the crime took place.
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WHY SHOULD I REPORT IT?
As with any type of crime, online crime should always be reported.
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Reporting any online crime as soon as you find out you’ve been a victim will increase the chance of recovering your money, or in the case of identity theft, mitigating the effects. Whether financial/identity theft or abuse, immediate reporting could also help in tracking down and apprehending the perpetrator.
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Reporting any online crime, however insignificant it may seem, could help the police and/or other agencies disrupt and shut down the ways that the perpetrator operates and communicates, reducing the chance of others becoming victims.
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Reporting online crime also helps law enforcement agencies to link your experience to similar reported incidents. This helps build a bigger picture of threats and trends and helps allocate resources to fight them more effectively.