Author gets naked on Observer front page

Peter, who lives in Sussex, is urging residents to ‘Protect Your Privates’ in an eye-catching campaign, which can be seen on the front of the Observer today.

“It is an incredibly difficult area to police, but I am proud to be able to support the Sussex Police latest cyber crime campaign,” said the author.

“By grabbing people’s attention we can raise awareness and encourage both individuals and companies to protect their privates.”

A recent survey of people living in the South East found 84 per cent of those asked had experienced an ‘attempted’ cyber crime in the last year, while 15 per cent had been victims.

Detective Inspector Andy Haslam said, “The aim of this campaign is not to scaremonger but to make everyone aware of the potential dangers we face when we go online. There are some very simple things we can all do to ensure we surf the web safely.”

These include getting anti-virus software; creating varied passwords and changing them regularly; and updating your software when prompted.

Cyber crime can leave victims feeling embarrassed or ashamed that they have been tricked or lost money.

Last year a 79-year-old woman from Sussex, who wishes to remain anonymous, was called at home by someone claiming he could get her money back on a recent online purchase.

“He sounded very convincing and asked for details that gave him remote access to my laptop,” said the woman. “He also wanted some credit card information so that the money could be paid back into my account.”

Fortunately the victim’s cards were cancelled before money could be taken, but it was still a ‘horrible’ experience. “I did get very upset,” she said. “I suffer with asthma and found it difficult to catch my breath when trying to explain what had happened to the officer. I blamed myself because I was gullible. It was a horrible experience but I won’t be taken in by a scam like this again.”

People of all ages are susceptible to cyber crime but the Sussex and Community Crime Prevention Report highlighted 40-79 year-olds are most at risk.

See www.protectyourprivates.co.uk/

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