Police warn of evolving online threats this Safer Internet Day

Merseyside Police is raising awareness about protecting yourself and others from online scams as part of Safer Internet Day 2025 (Tuesday, 11 February).

This international event has occurred each February since 2004 and is coordinated by the UK Safer Internet Centre. The force is joining organisations across the UK to highlight the growing threat of cybercrime, particularly targeting young people, and to provide practical advice on staying safe online.

Cybercrime is not limited by borders, and often, the criminals behind these scams are operating overseas. Across the UK, these types of crimes are reported in the thousands each year and result in millions of pounds in financial losses.

Detective Sergeant Danny Gavin from the Merseyside Police Cyber Unit said: "Online scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and let’s call them what they are – cybercrimes.

“It's crucial that people of all ages know how to spot the warning signs and protect themselves from cybercrime. Be aware of social engineering, where criminals carefully craft scenarios to manipulate people into taking actions they wouldn't normally consider. These often create a false sense of urgency or play on emotions to convince people to click on malicious links or share sensitive information.”

Criminals will attempt this via phone or social media messages, emails, phone calls or a combination of these methods. The force highlights three key warning signs that indicate you should stop and think:

• Urgent demands requiring immediate action, especially those threatening negative consequences
• Offers that appear too good to be true, such as guaranteed investment returns or prizes
• Unexpected requests from friends or family members, particularly those asking for money or personal information

Detective Sergeant Gavin explained: "These manipulative tactics can be combined with hijacking social media accounts. Once criminals gain access to someone's profile, they can use that trusted relationship to deceive that person's friends and family.”

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence is also creating new opportunities for criminals to craft more convincing frauds.

To combat this growing threat, Merseyside Police recommends remaining vigilant to anything that doesn’t seem right, maintaining unique strong passwords of at least three random words for every account and enabling two-step verification (2SV) on all online accounts.

Detective Sergeant Gavin added: "Two-step verification is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself online. Even if criminals obtain your password, 2SV creates an additional barrier by requiring a second form of verification, typically a code sent to your mobile phone. This simple step can prevent unauthorised access to your accounts."

The force is delivering online safety sessions throughout the week at local schools and community centres, offering practical advice and support to residents of all ages.

Although this work to protect the communities of Merseyside from cybercrime goes on throughout the year, Safer Internet Day is an ideal opportunity to raise awareness and help keep people safe online.

If you suspect you have been the victim of an online fraud, visit Action Fraud for advice and report it at www.actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.

Victims of fraud can obtain support from Victim Care Merseyside by calling Freephone 0808 175 3080 on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. or request support online at www.victimcaremerseyside.org at any time.

If you have information about those committing cybercrime, you can pass information via Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: crimestoppers-uk.org