A new study from a university research team has revealed that many cybercrime victims in Scotland prefer reporting incidents to banks and charities instead of going directly to the police.
The preliminary study explored how victims in Scotland and Italy respond to cybercrime and found that several Scottish participants turned to banks mainly to recover stolen money. Researchers said many victims also avoided reporting to police because they believed the process could be stressful or ineffective.
The research examined 11 organisations in Scotland, 4 organisations in Italy, and survey responses from 287 cybercrime victims across both countries. According to the findings, Scottish victims were more likely to contact banks, while Italian victims generally preferred reporting cybercrime directly to law enforcement agencies.
The study focused on cybercrimes such as identity theft, phishing scams, malware attacks, and other digital fraud activities. Researchers warned that under-reporting to police could make it harder for authorities to understand the true scale of cybercrime and identify criminal patterns.
The report also highlighted that older people and vulnerable groups may hesitate to report scams because of the stigma linked to cybercrime victimisation.
Researchers further noted that organisations supporting victims believe reporting systems could improve through better public awareness, easier online reporting tools, stronger information sharing, and efforts to reduce shame around scams.
One of the researchers said, “Victims often blame themselves for falling for scams and removing the stigma around cybercrime victimisation is crucial if police forces are to understand the true scale, and respond effectively.”
The study also suggested that stronger collaboration between businesses, charities, police, researchers, and technical experts could help improve cybercrime reporting and response systems in the future.
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