Sussex online shopping scams – how does county fair against other areas?

E-commerce experts at CartridgeSave.co.uk analysed the latest data available from the National Fraud & Cyber Crime Reporting Centre to see which UK Police Forces reported the lowest levels of online shopping scams, as a percentage of all cybercrime and fraud reports in the past 13 months.

The investigation found that Scotland was the area least at risk of online shopping scams, with them making up only 13.78 per cent of all cybercrimes reported in the area

London and Surrey took second and third place, respectively – but where did Sussex rank?

The county, in fact, finished in sixth-place, with 9,595 fraud and cyber crimes reported in the past 13 months. Of this total, 1,893 (19.73 per cent) were online shopping scams.

When compared to best-placed finisher Scotland, the police force for the country reported 15,265 fraud and cyber crimes in the past 13 months, with 2,103, or 13.78 per cent, being from online shopping scams.

Metropolitan Police data showed that of the 63,786 total fraud and cyber-crimes reported in London over the past 13 months, only 10,683, or 16.75 per cent, were from online shopping.

Surrey came third, with the study discovering that 1,393 – or 18.28 per cent – of the 7,621 total cyber crimes reported by police, came from online shopping scams.

Commenting on the findings, Ian Cowley, managing director of CartridgeSave.co.uk, said: “It’s important to be extra vigilant while online shopping nowadays, with scammers’ methods getting more and more complicated and believable.

"Several years ago, what may have been easily detectable has turned into scammers using methods like spoofing entire websites and posing as other people. It’s important to note that you can still be at risk even if you have minimal use of online shopping, as all it takes is one occasion for you to be caught out to potentially lose a lot financially.”

Data from the National Fraud & Cyber Crime Reporting Centre is correct as of September 5, 2023.