North East UK Cyber Crime Statistics

North East UK Cyber Crime Key Insights

• Consumer fraud dominates overall cyber crime activity because attacks are built for scale – Consumer fraud accounts for 38.5% of all reports (2.8k) and 22.5% of total losses (£4.9m) across the North East. Criminals continue to exploit phishing, impersonation, online marketplaces, and social engineering to target large numbers of victims efficiently.
• Investment fraud causes the greatest financial harm despite relatively low volumes – Investment scams represent just 6.5% of reports (483) but generate 43.4% of all financial losses (£9.4m). With average losses reaching £19.4k per report, these attacks are highly targeted and financially destructive.
• Cyber dependent crime remains operationally important but less financially visible – While cyber dependent offences account for 27.4% of reports (2k), they generate only 0.1% of direct losses (£24.4k). This suggests many incidents involve compromise, disruption, malware, or credential theft rather than immediate financial extraction.
• Banking fraud continues to deliver high-value returns for attackers – Banking fraud represents 21.3% of total losses (£4.6m) from only 591 reports, averaging £7.8k per incident. These attacks are heavily focused on direct financial extraction through account compromise and payment fraud.
• Low organisational reporting likely understates business exposure across the region – Corporate and Public Sector reports together account for less than 1% of total reports, yet incidents affecting organisations often generate significantly higher average losses and operational disruption. The real level of organisational cyber exposure in the North East is likely much higher than reporting data alone suggests.

Individuals

• People aged 30–69 represent the highest concentration of cyber crime victims – Individuals aged 30–69 account for over 68% of all reports, reflecting high levels of digital engagement, online banking use, and exposure to phishing, fraud, and account compromise activity.
• Older individuals suffer the greatest financial harm when attacks succeed – People aged 60–69 account for 24.1% of losses (£4.6m), while those aged 70–79 lost £2.8m overall. Average losses rise significantly with age, suggesting criminals increasingly target accumulated savings and trust-based behaviours.
• Consumer fraud drives the highest report volumes among individuals – Consumer scams account for 37.9% of individual reports (2.7k), demonstrating the continued effectiveness of phishing, fake marketplaces, delivery scams, and impersonation attacks against the public.
• Investment fraud is the most financially damaging crime type for individuals – Despite accounting for just 6.6% of reports (476), investment fraud generated 48.2% of all individual losses (£9.2m). The average loss of £19.3k per report highlights the severity of financially targeted scams.
• Cyber dependent crime affects individuals at scale but rarely through direct financial theft – Cyber dependent offences represent 27.5% of reports (2k) but only 0.1% of direct losses (£24.4k). Many incidents likely involve compromise, malware, credential theft, or account access rather than immediate monetary loss.

Organisations

• Limited companies experience the majority of organisational cyber crime activity – Limited companies account for 72.7% of organisational reports (152) and 47.7% of total organisational losses (£1.2m). SMEs remain the most exposed business type across the North East due to heavy digital reliance and often limited internal cyber maturity.
• Banking fraud is the single most financially damaging threat to organisations – Banking fraud generates 63.5% of organisational losses (£1.6m) with an average loss of £22.5k per incident. These attacks commonly involve invoice fraud, payment diversion, and account compromise.
• PLCs, partnerships, and LLPs experience disproportionately high losses per incident – PLCs average £40.5k per report, partnerships £43.8k, and LLPs £24.9k. Although report volumes are lower, attacks against these organisations tend to be significantly higher value when successful.
• Consumer-related fraud remains a major organisational threat – Consumer fraud represents 45% of organisational reports (102) and 18.1% of losses (£456.7k). Businesses are increasingly exposed to scams involving customer interaction, impersonation, payment fraud, and transaction abuse.
• Operational disruption may outweigh direct financial loss in cyber dependent incidents – Cyber dependent crime accounts for 16.3% of organisational reports (37) but generated no direct reported financial losses. This suggests many incidents are linked to compromise, downtime, malware, or operational disruption rather than immediate theft alone.

North East UK Cyber Crime Statistics Breakdown

Crime Types

By report volume

Insights for Report Volume

• Consumer fraud dominates because modern cyber crime is built for scale – At 38.5% of reports (2.8k), consumer fraud is the largest category across the North East. Criminals are increasingly using phishing, fake marketplaces, and impersonation scams to target large numbers of people quickly and cheaply. The volume reflects how effective behaviour-based attacks remain when delivered at scale.
• Cyber dependent crime shows that access is still the primary objective – Representing 27.4% of reports (2k), cyber dependent offences continue to underpin wider criminal activity. Hacking, malware, and credential theft are often the first step before fraud, extortion, or disruption can take place. Attackers are increasingly combining technical compromise with social engineering to gain access faster.
• Advance fee fraud remains effective because simple scams still work – Accounting for 18.8% of reports (1.4k), advance fee scams continue to generate high report volumes across the region. These attacks rely on urgency, trust, and financial pressure rather than technical sophistication, proving that low-cost, repeatable tactics still deliver results at scale.
• Banking and investment fraud reflect more financially targeted attacks – While banking fraud accounts for 8% of reports (591) and investment fraud 6.5% (483), both are more directly aligned with financial extraction. These attacks typically involve impersonation, account compromise, or fraudulent investment schemes designed to maximise monetary gain rather than simply maximise reach.
• Low corporate and public sector reporting likely understates organisational risk – Corporate reports represent just 0.5% of cases (36), while Public Sector incidents account for 0.2% (13). However, organisational attacks are often more complex and disruptive, meaning the true level of exposure facing businesses and public bodies across the North East is likely much higher than reporting figures suggest.

By financial losses

Insights for Financial Losses

• Investment fraud drives the highest financial losses despite relatively low report volumes – Investment fraud accounts for 43.4% of total losses (£9.4m) from just 6.5% of reports (483). With an average loss of £19.4k per report, these scams are highly financially targeted, reflecting a shift towards fewer but far more damaging attacks focused on maximising monetary gain.
• Banking fraud remains one of the most financially damaging crime categories – Representing 21.3% of losses (£4.6m) from 591 reports, banking fraud generated an average loss of £7.8k per incident. This highlights the continued effectiveness of account compromise, impersonation, and payment-related scams designed to directly extract funds from victims.
• Consumer fraud generates substantial losses because of its sheer scale – Although the average loss per report is lower at £1.7k, consumer fraud still accounts for 22.5% of total losses (£4.9m) due to the extremely high report volume (2.8k cases). This demonstrates how large-scale, low-to-medium value scams can collectively create major financial harm across the region.
• Cyber dependent crime is high in volume but low in direct financial impact – Despite accounting for 27.4% of reports (2k), cyber dependent crime generated just 0.1% of total losses (£24.4k), with an average loss of only £12 per report. This suggests these offences are often linked to access, disruption, compromise, or wider criminal enablement rather than immediate financial theft alone.
• Public sector and corporate incidents are fewer but significantly higher impact – Public Sector losses averaged £43.6k per report, while Corporate incidents averaged £2.5k per report, despite both categories representing very small report volumes overall. This reinforces that organisational cyber incidents tend to be less frequent but substantially more damaging when they occur, particularly where operational disruption or sensitive data is involved.

North East UK Cyber Crime Statistics for Individuals

Crime Types

By report volume

Insights for Individual Report Volume

• Consumer fraud dominates individual cyber crime because attackers prioritise scale and accessibility – At 37.9% of reports (2.7k), consumer fraud is the largest category affecting individuals across the North East. Criminals continue to exploit phishing, fake marketplaces, delivery scams, and impersonation tactics designed to target large audiences quickly and cheaply.
• Cyber dependent crime remains a major threat because compromised accounts enable wider fraud – Representing 27.5% of reports (2k), cyber dependent offences highlight the continued role of hacking, malware, and credential theft in attacks against individuals. These crimes are often the gateway to financial fraud, identity theft, and account takeover activity.
• Advance fee fraud continues to generate high report volumes through social engineering – Accounting for 19.1% of reports (1.4k), advance fee scams remain highly effective against individuals in the North East. These attacks rely on urgency, emotional pressure, and false opportunities rather than technical sophistication, making them inexpensive and highly scalable for criminals.
• Banking and investment fraud are lower in volume but more financially targeted – Banking fraud represents 7.2% of reports (520), while investment fraud accounts for 6.6% (476). Although less common than consumer scams, these attacks are typically more deliberate and financially motivated, often involving impersonation, account compromise, or fraudulent investment schemes.
• Corporate and public sector incidents remain low within individual reporting data – Corporate cases account for just 0.5% of reports (33) and Public Sector incidents only 0.1% (8). This reflects the fact that the dataset is heavily weighted towards individual victims, while organisational incidents are often reported through separate channels and tend to involve more complex investigations.

By financial losses

Insights for Individual Financial Losses

• Investment fraud causes the greatest financial harm to individuals despite lower report volumes – Investment fraud accounts for 48.2% of total losses (£9.2m) from just 6.6% of reports (476). With an average loss of £19.3k per report, these scams are highly targeted and financially damaging, often involving fake investment platforms, impersonation, and long-term manipulation tactics.
• Consumer fraud creates substantial financial damage through sheer volume – Although the average loss per report is lower at £1.6k, consumer fraud still generated 23% of all losses (£4.4m) due to the extremely high number of cases (2.7k reports). This shows how mass-scale scams can collectively create major financial impact across the region.
• Banking fraud remains one of the most financially effective attack types – Banking fraud represents 15.7% of losses (£3m) from 520 reports, with an average loss of £5.8k per incident. These attacks commonly involve impersonation, account compromise, and payment diversion tactics designed to extract funds directly from victims.
• Advance fee fraud continues to succeed through low-cost, scalable deception – Accounting for 11% of total losses (£2.1m) from 1.4k reports, advance fee scams remain widespread across the North East. While individual losses are lower at £1.5k per report, the high volume of incidents demonstrates how effective urgency and trust-based scams remain at scale.
• Cyber dependent crime is widespread but rarely linked to immediate financial loss – Despite representing 27.5% of reports (2k), cyber dependent crime generated only 0.1% of total losses (£24.4k), with an average loss of just £12 per report. This suggests many incidents are linked to compromise, disruption, or account access rather than direct financial theft at the point of reporting.

Age Demographics

By report volume

Insights for Report Volume via Age Demographics

By financial losses

Insights for Financial Losses via Age Demographics

• Individuals aged 60–69 suffer the highest overall financial losses from cyber crime – This age group accounts for 24.1% of total losses (£4.6m), with an average loss of £4.3k per report. The combination of accumulated savings, high financial activity, and trust-based targeting makes this demographic particularly attractive to financially motivated criminals.
• Financial losses increase significantly with age despite lower report volumes – While younger age groups generate more reports overall, average financial losses rise sharply among older demographics. Individuals aged 50–79 collectively account for over 54% of total losses, showing that attacks against older victims tend to be more financially damaging when successful.
• People aged 50–59 remain heavily targeted by high-value fraud – Accounting for 15.7% of losses (£3m) with an average loss of £2.8k per report, this age group represents one of the most financially impacted demographics in the North East. Criminals are likely targeting individuals with higher disposable income, savings, and digital financial activity.
• Younger adults experience high exposure but lower average financial harm – Individuals aged 20–29 account for 8.4% of total losses (£1.6m) despite generating a high number of reports. Average losses remain comparatively lower at £1.6k per report, suggesting younger victims are more frequently exposed to lower-value scams, marketplace fraud, and phishing attacks.
• Cyber crime against older demographics appears more financially efficient for attackers – Individuals aged 70–79 suffered £2.8m in losses from fewer reports overall, with an average loss of £4.1k per incident. This indicates that while criminals may target younger people more frequently, attacks against older individuals often generate higher-value returns when successful.

North East UK Cyber Crime Statistics for Organisations

Crime Types

By report volume

Insights for Organisational Report Volume

• Consumer fraud represents the largest cyber crime category affecting organisations – At 45% of reports (102), consumer-related fraud is the most common organisational cyber crime category in the North East. This suggests businesses are frequently impacted by scams linked to customer interaction, payments, impersonation, and online transaction activity.
• Banking fraud remains a major organisational threat because of direct financial targeting – Representing 31.3% of reports (71), banking fraud continues to heavily affect organisations across the region. These incidents commonly involve payment diversion, account compromise, invoice fraud, and impersonation tactics designed to extract funds directly from businesses.
• Cyber dependent crime highlights ongoing technical exposure within organisations – Accounting for 16.3% of reports (37), cyber dependent offences demonstrate that hacking, malware, and account compromise remain persistent organisational risks. These attacks are often linked to wider operational disruption, credential theft, or unauthorised access to systems and data.
• Investment and advance fee fraud remain comparatively rare for organisations – Investment fraud accounts for 3.1% of reports (7), while advance fee fraud represents just 0.9% (2). This suggests organisational cyber crime in the North East is more heavily focused on operational and transactional fraud rather than speculative financial scams.
• Public sector and corporate reports remain low but likely understate true exposure – Public Sector incidents account for 2.2% of reports (5) and Corporate cases just 1.3% (3). However, organisational cyber incidents are often more complex, sensitive, and underreported, meaning the real level of exposure across businesses and public bodies is likely higher than the figures suggest.

By financial losses

Insights for Organisational Financial Losses

• Banking fraud causes the overwhelming majority of organisational financial losses – Banking fraud accounts for 63.5% of total losses (£1.6m) despite representing only 31.3% of reports (71). With an average loss of £22.5k per incident, these attacks are highly financially targeted and often involve payment diversion, invoice fraud, or account compromise.
• Public sector incidents generate the highest average losses per report – Although Public Sector cases account for just 10.9% of losses (£273.4k) from only 5 reports, the average loss reaches £54.7k per incident. This highlights how attacks against public bodies can be fewer in number but significantly more damaging when successful.
• Consumer fraud creates substantial organisational losses through volume – Consumer-related fraud generated 18.1% of total losses (£456.7k) with an average loss of £4.5k per report. This suggests organisations are regularly impacted by customer-facing scams, impersonation attempts, and transaction-related fraud at scale.
• Investment fraud is relatively uncommon but highly damaging when successful – Investment fraud represents only 7.1% of losses (£177.7k) from 7 reports, yet the average loss reaches £25.4k per incident. This indicates that while these attacks are less frequent, they are often financially sophisticated and high value.
• Cyber dependent crime appears operationally disruptive rather than financially driven – Despite accounting for 16.3% of organisational reports (37), cyber dependent crime generated no direct financial losses at the point of reporting. This suggests many incidents involve compromise, disruption, malware, or unauthorised access where operational impact may outweigh immediate monetary theft.

Business Types

By report volume

Insights for Organisational Report Volume via Business Types

• Limited companies experience the vast majority of organisational cyber crime reports – Limited companies account for 72.7% of reports (152), making them by far the most targeted business type in the North East. This reflects the dominance of SMEs and privately owned businesses within the regional economy, many of which rely heavily on digital systems but often have limited internal cyber security resources.
• Sole traders and smaller organisations remain exposed despite lower report volumes – Sole traders represent 7.2% of reports (15), showing that even smaller businesses continue to face phishing, payment fraud, and account compromise risks. Their smaller scale often means fewer technical safeguards and less operational resilience when incidents occur.
• ‘Other’ business types indicate cyber risk extends beyond traditional company structures – Organisations categorised as “Other” account for 8.1% of reports (17), demonstrating that cyber crime is not limited to standard commercial entities. Criminals increasingly target any organisation handling payments, sensitive information, or digital services regardless of structure.
• PLCs account for relatively few reports but remain attractive targets – Public limited companies represent only 4.8% of reports (10), likely reflecting their smaller number overall compared to SMEs. However, larger organisations typically hold greater financial value, making them attractive for more targeted and sophisticated attacks when incidents do occur.
• Charities, LLPs, and partnerships continue to face cyber exposure despite smaller footprints – Combined, charities, LLPs, and partnerships account for 8.1% of reports (17). These organisations often operate with constrained budgets, lean IT support, or distributed working environments, which can increase exposure to phishing, impersonation, and account compromise attacks.

By financial losses

Insights for Organisational Financial Losses via Business Types

• Limited companies suffer the highest total financial losses from cyber crime – Limited companies account for 47.7% of total losses (£1.2m), with an average loss of £7.9k per report. This reflects the heavy concentration of SMEs across the North East and the continued targeting of businesses that rely heavily on digital operations and online payments.
• PLCs experience the highest average financial losses per incident – Although PLCs account for just 16.1% of total losses (£405.3k) from only 10 reports, the average loss reaches £40.5k per incident. This suggests attacks against larger organisations are fewer in number but significantly higher value when successful.
• Partnerships and LLPs face disproportionately high financial impact – Partnerships generated average losses of £43.8k per report, while LLPs averaged £24.9k per incident. Despite relatively small report volumes, these figures indicate that attacks against professional firms and partnership-based organisations can create substantial financial damage.
• ‘Other’ business types demonstrate that cyber crime extends beyond traditional SMEs – Organisations classified as “Other” account for 16.1% of total losses (£405.8k) with an average loss of £23.9k per report. This reinforces that cyber criminals increasingly target any organisation handling sensitive data, payments, or digital services regardless of structure.
• Sole traders and charities report comparatively low direct financial losses – Sole traders account for just 0.4% of losses (£9k), while charities reported only £900 in losses overall. However, lower financial figures do not necessarily indicate lower operational impact, as smaller organisations often experience proportionally greater disruption and recovery challenges following cyber incidents.

About The Data - North East UK Cyber Crime Statistics

Based on a rolling 12 months of data from Report Fraud.

Data is provided by the following police forces: Cleveland, Durham, and Northumbria.

The North East UK cyber crime statistics data is extracted from the NFIB Fraud and Cyber Crime dashboard between 01/01/2025 and 31/12/2025.

Only 'cyber-enabled' fraud and cyber crime offences amounting to a crime under the Home Office Crime Recording rules are included.

Cyber-enabled crimes are traditional crimes, which can be increased in their scale or reach by use of computers, computer networks or other forms of IT.

Information reports and crimes reported directly from partner agencies and industry are not included at this time and will account for differences to Office for National Statistics figures for fraud offences in the same period.

For more information relating to different types of fraud and cyber crime please see the A-Z of fraud section on the Report Fraud website.

Limitations

North East UK cyber crime statistics data is based on victim selection during the reporting process and this has not been verified.

Losses are based on loss amounts as reported in Report Fraud recorded crimes and these have not been verified. Where possible, efforts have been made to review losses reported in excess of £500k but further investigation may be required to determine if loss amounts are a true reflection of the financial impact of the reported crime.

Extreme outliers have been removed to limit data skew.

Crime Types

See crime type definitions in the main cyber crime stats article.

Regional Breakdown

Below is a list of regions that our cyber crime research is broken down into:

• London
• South East
• South West
• North West
• North East
• East
• East Midlands
• West Midlands
• Yorkshire & Humber
• Scotland
• Wales
• Northern Ireland

Further Reading

For more information about North East UK cyber crime statistics, take a look at the following sources:

• Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025 - UK Gov
• National Cyber Security Centre
• Office for National Statistics