To increase the public’s awareness of financial fraud risks, Barclays is spearheading a national safety drive with a £10 million spend. Barclays’ Digital Eagles, a nationwide force 17,000 strong, will provide free support clinics for the one million SMEs in UK and offer teaching people digital safety. Some 500 free events will be delivered by Barclays Business Eagles across the nation, including Liverpool, Ipswich and Cornwall. The programme aims to help the public stay safe with tools, information and tips in the digital age and to reach and keep 30,000 business people safe from fraud in 2017.
The latest crime figures show that half of all recorded crime is the 5.6 million fraud and cyber offences committed in the UK, costing the nation £11 billion. The CEO of Barclays is calling for the public, businesses and police to unite and tackle this growing issue. Barclays is urging both business and the workforce to fight back this matter of public concern, as new research has revealed the level of the Digital Safety knowledge of the public.
The new national Digital Safety Index reveals that UK’s scam capitals are London, Birmingham and Bristol, showing the largest gaps in public resilience. The research found that people who are 25 to 34 years old, are more likely to be victims of online fraud, twice more than the older generations. IoD and Barclays separate research found SMEs least confident working on mobiles, laptops or desktops, while 40% of the SMEs didn’t know whom to report an online fraud to. This initiative of the bank in providing free events and training gains more relevance in the light of the recent global cyber attack via the WannaCry ransomeware.
