Yorkshire & Humber UK Cyber Crime Statistics

Yorkshire & Humber UK Cyber Crime Key Insights

• Consumer fraud is the most frequently reported crime type – It generated 6,571 reports (38%), substantially more than any other category. This highlights the continuing prevalence of online shopping scams, impersonation, phishing and marketplace fraud across Yorkshire and the Humber.
• Investment fraud causes almost half of all financial losses – Despite representing only 7.8% of reports (1,343), investment fraud produced £26.1m in losses (48%), averaging £19.5k per report. It is therefore the region’s most financially damaging crime category.
• Cyber dependent crime is high-volume but produces relatively low reported losses – Hacking, malware, ransomware and related offences accounted for 4,161 reports (24.1%), but only £352.2k in recorded losses (0.6%). This reflects an average direct loss of just £85 per report, although wider recovery and operational costs may not be captured.
• Individuals account for the overwhelming majority of reported incidents – Individuals submitted 16,375 of the region’s 17,278 reports (94.8%) and experienced approximately £48.4m of the £54.4m in recorded losses (89%).
• Report volume does not reliably indicate financial severity – Consumer and cyber dependent crime generated 62.1% of reports, while investment fraud alone caused more losses than both categories combined. This underlines the importance of considering financial impact alongside incident numbers.

Individuals

• Consumer fraud dominates reports among individuals – Consumer offences accounted for 6,242 reports (38.1%), making them the most common crime type affecting members of the public across Yorkshire and the Humber.
• Investment fraud is the greatest financial threat to individuals – Investment scams produced £25.4m in losses (52.4%) from 1,331 reports, with victims losing an average of £19.1k per incident.
• Cyber dependent crime affects a substantial number of people – Hacking, malware and unauthorised access generated 4,015 reports (24.5%), making this the second-largest individual crime category, despite accounting for only £274.2k in direct losses.
• People aged 60–79 experience the greatest combined financial impact – The 60–69 and 70–79 age groups lost a combined £18.7m, representing 38.6% of individual losses, even though they accounted for only 21.9% of reports.
• Losses generally become more severe with age – Average losses rise from £1.8k among people aged 20–29 to £5.1k for those aged 60–69, £5.4k for 70–79, and £5.5k for 90–99, demonstrating the disproportionate financial harm experienced by older victims.

Organisations

• Banking fraud is the most frequently reported organisational crime – Banking offences generated 397 reports (44%), followed by consumer fraud with 329 reports (36.4%). Together, the two categories represented 80.4% of organisational incidents.
• Consumer and banking fraud cause most organisational losses – Consumer fraud produced £2.5m in losses (41.9%), while banking fraud caused £2.4m (40.2%). Combined, they accounted for 82.1% of all recorded organisational losses.
• Investment fraud produces the highest average organisational loss – Although only 12 incidents (1.3%) were reported, investment fraud caused £724k in losses, equivalent to approximately £60.3k per report.
• Limited companies bear most of the organisational impact – Limited companies accounted for 549 reports (63.5%) and £4.1m in losses (68.7%), making them the most heavily affected business type by both measures.
• Charities experience disproportionately high financial harm – Charities represented only 3.9% of reports (34) but accounted for 5.3% of losses (£316.2k), averaging £9.3k per report. This indicates that relatively few incidents can still have a significant effect on organisations with limited resources.

Yorkshire & Humber UK Cyber Crime Statistics Breakdown

Crime Types

By report volume

Insights for Report Volume

• Consumer fraud remains the most common cyber crime category – Accounting for 38% of all reports (6,571), consumer fraud continues to dominate the cyber crime landscape across Yorkshire and the Humber. Its volume exceeds every other category by a considerable margin, highlighting the ongoing prevalence of online shopping scams, phishing attacks and marketplace fraud targeting members of the public.
• Cyber dependent crime represents nearly a quarter of all reported incidents – With 24.1% of reports (4,161), offences such as hacking, malware, ransomware and unauthorised system access remain a significant threat. Their high reporting volume reinforces the importance of maintaining strong cyber security controls alongside employee awareness.
• Advance fee fraud remains a major source of reports – Advance fee fraud accounted for 16.8% of all reports (2,901), making it the third most reported crime type. Criminals continue to exploit fake investments, loans, inheritance claims and other schemes that persuade victims to make upfront payments with the promise of larger future returns.
• Banking and investment fraud generate comparatively fewer reports – Together, banking (12.6%) and investment (7.8%) fraud represented 20.4% of all reports (3,526 incidents). While these crimes occur less frequently than consumer fraud, they often involve higher financial losses per victim, making them disproportionately damaging.
• Corporate and public sector incidents remain comparatively rare – Corporate (0.6%) and public sector (0.1%) reports together accounted for just 0.7% of all recorded incidents (119 reports). Although relatively uncommon, recent incidents affecting the Police National Legal Database and Yorkshire charities demonstrate that attacks against organisations can have much wider operational, financial and data-protection consequences than the report volume alone suggests.

By financial losses

Insights for Financial Losses

• Investment fraud causes almost half of all reported financial losses – Despite accounting for only 7.8% of reports, investment fraud generated £26.1 million in losses (48%). Its average loss of £19,500 per report was by far the highest of any crime category, demonstrating how fewer incidents can still cause extraordinary financial harm.
• Consumer fraud produces the second-highest overall loss – Consumer fraud resulted in £15.4 million of losses (28.3%), with an average of £2,300 per report. Although it was the most frequently reported crime type, its lower average loss meant its share of the financial damage was smaller than its 38% share of reports.
• Banking and advance fee fraud caused more than £12 million in combined losses – Banking fraud generated £6 million, while advance fee fraud accounted for a further £6.2 million. Together, they were responsible for 22.4% of all losses (£12.2 million), with average losses of £2,700 and £2,100 per report respectively.
• Cyber dependent crime is widespread but records relatively low direct losses – Despite representing 24.1% of all reports, cyber dependent crime accounted for only £352,200 in recorded losses (0.6%), averaging £85 per report. However, these figures may not capture wider consequences such as downtime, recovery costs, reputational damage and compromised data.
• Corporate and public sector losses remain comparatively small – Corporate and public sector incidents generated combined losses of approximately £309,500, representing just 0.6% of the regional total. The relatively low financial figure should not disguise their potential impact, as incidents affecting organisations can disrupt essential services and expose information belonging to employees, customers and the wider public.

Yorkshire & Humber UK Cyber Crime Statistics for Individuals

Crime Types

By report volume

Insights for Individual Report Volume

• Individuals account for the overwhelming majority of reported cyber crime – The data records 16,375 reports involving individuals, representing approximately 94.8% of all cyber crime reports across Yorkshire and the Humber. This demonstrates that most recorded incidents directly affect members of the public rather than organisations.
• Consumer fraud remains the most common crime affecting individuals – Accounting for 38.1% of reports (6,242), consumer fraud was the largest category by a considerable margin. Online shopping scams, phishing attacks and fraudulent marketplace listings continue to give criminals numerous opportunities to target people during everyday transactions.
• Cyber dependent crime represents almost a quarter of individual reports – Hacking, malware, ransomware and unauthorised system access generated 4,015 reports (24.5%). The volume highlights the importance of strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, software updates and greater awareness of suspicious communications.
• Advance fee fraud remains a persistent threat – Advance fee schemes accounted for 17.7% of reports involving individuals (2,895). These crimes commonly use promises of investments, loans, prizes or inheritances to persuade victims to make upfront payments for something that never materialises.
• Banking and investment fraud account for almost one in five reports – Together, banking (10.9%) and investment (8.1%) fraud generated 3,117 reports, representing 19% of the total. Although less common than consumer fraud, the sums involved can make these offences particularly damaging to individual victims.

By financial losses

Insights for Individual Financial Losses

• Individuals suffered more than £48 million in recorded losses – Cyber crime targeting individuals across Yorkshire and the Humber generated approximately £48.4 million in financial losses. This represents around 89% of all recorded cyber crime losses across the region.
• Investment fraud accounts for more than half of individual losses – Despite representing only 8.1% of reports, investment fraud caused £25.4 million in losses (52.4%). Its average loss of £19,100 per report was substantially higher than any other crime category.
• Consumer fraud generated almost £13 million in losses – Consumer fraud accounted for £12.9 million (26.6%), making it the second most financially damaging category. The average loss was £2,100 per report, showing how a high volume of comparatively smaller incidents can accumulate into a considerable regional loss.
• Advance fee and banking fraud caused almost £10 million in combined losses – Advance fee fraud generated £6.2 million, while banking fraud caused a further £3.6 million. Together, they accounted for 20.2% of individual losses (£9.8 million), averaging approximately £2,100 and £2,000 per report respectively.
• Cyber dependent crime is common but produces relatively low recorded financial losses – Although cyber dependent offences represented 24.5% of individual reports, they generated £274,200 in losses (0.6%), averaging just £68 per report. This figure is unlikely to reflect non-financial consequences such as lost data, compromised accounts, disruption and the time required to recover.

Age Demographics

By report volume

Insights for Report Volume via Age Demographics

• People aged 30–39 recorded the highest number of cyber crime reports – This age group accounted for 21.4% of reports (3.5k), making it the most frequently affected group across Yorkshire and the Humber. Its position may reflect the amount of time people in this age range spend working, shopping, banking and communicating online.
• More than half of all reports involved people aged 20–49 – The three age groups between 20 and 49 generated 9.1k reports, representing 56.1% of the total. This shows that cyber crime is particularly prevalent among working-age adults with regular access to digital services and financial accounts.
• Reports remain substantial among people aged 50–69 – Those aged 50–59 made 2.4k reports, while people aged 60–69 accounted for a further 2.1k. Together, these groups represented 27.4% of all reports (4.4k).
• More than one in ten reports involved someone aged 70 or over – People aged 70 and above generated 2.1k reports, accounting for 12.7% of the total. Although the volume was lower than among working-age adults, older victims may face greater difficulty recovering financially and emotionally from fraud.
• Reported cyber crime was relatively uncommon among those under 20 – People aged 10–19 accounted for 584 reports (3.6%), while children under ten generated just 25 (0.2%). However, the figures represent report volumes rather than the underlying rate of victimisation within each age group, so they should not be interpreted as a direct measure of individual risk.

By financial losses

Insights for Financial Losses via Age Demographics

• People aged 60–69 experienced the greatest overall financial loss – This age group lost £10.6 million, accounting for 21.9% of all losses involving individuals. With an average loss of £5.1k per report, the financial impact was considerably higher than among younger age groups.
• People aged 50 and over suffered more than 60% of all losses – Although those aged 50 and above accounted for 40.2% of reports, they experienced approximately £29.2 million in losses (60.3%). This shows that older victims generally lost substantially more when an incident occurred.
• Losses were particularly severe among people aged 60–79 – The 60–69 and 70–79 age groups suffered combined losses of £18.7 million, representing 38.6% of the total. Average losses reached £5.1k and £5.4k per report respectively.
• Working-age adults generated more reports but a smaller share of losses – People aged 20–49 accounted for 56.1% of reports, yet suffered £18.5 million in losses (38.2%). Average losses ranged from £1.6k to £2.7k per report, considerably below those recorded among most older age groups.
• Victims aged 80 and over lost more than £2.5 million – The 80–89 and 90–99 age groups recorded combined losses of approximately £2.5 million, despite generating only 583 reports between them. Average losses were £4.2k among those aged 80–89 and £5.5k among those aged 90–99, highlighting the disproportionate financial impact cyber crime can have on older victims.

Yorkshire & Humber UK Cyber Crime Statistics for Organisations

Crime Types

By report volume

Insights for Organisational Report Volume

• Organisations accounted for a relatively small share of regional reports – There were 903 reports involving organisations, representing approximately 5.2% of all cyber crime reports across Yorkshire and the Humber. However, a single organisational incident can affect employees, customers, suppliers and members of the public simultaneously.
• Banking fraud was the most commonly reported crime affecting organisations – Banking-related offences generated 397 reports, accounting for 44% of the organisational total. This highlights the continuing threat posed by payment diversion, account compromise and criminals impersonating trusted financial contacts.
• Banking and consumer fraud dominated organisational reports – Combined, banking and consumer fraud generated 726 reports, representing 80.4% of all incidents involving organisations. The figures reinforce the importance of verifying payment requests, supplier details and unexpected changes to financial information.
• Cyber dependent crime accounted for one in six organisational incidents – Hacking, malware, ransomware and unauthorised system access generated 146 reports (16.2%). Recent breaches affecting the Police National Legal Database and Yorkshire charities demonstrate how an attack against one organisation or supplier can expose information belonging to many others.
• Other crime categories were reported relatively infrequently – Advance fee, corporate, investment and public sector crime produced only 31 reports combined, accounting for approximately 3.4% of the organisational total. Their low frequency should not be mistaken for low potential impact, particularly where sensitive data, essential services or substantial payments are involved.

By financial losses

Insights for Organisational Financial Losses

Business Types

By report volume

Insights for Organisational Report Volume via Business Types

• Limited companies accounted for almost two-thirds of classified reports – Limited companies generated 549 reports, representing 63.5% of the incidents where a business type was recorded. This made them by far the most frequently affected organisational category across Yorkshire and the Humber.
• Other organisations represented the second-largest category – Organisations classified as “Other” generated 146 reports (16.9%). The size of this group suggests cyber crime affects a broad range of organisations that do not sit neatly within the main commercial and charitable classifications.
• PLCs and sole traders generated a similar number of reports – PLCs accounted for 60 reports (6.9%), while sole traders generated 53 (6.1%). Together, they represented 13% of classified organisational reports, showing that cyber crime affects businesses at opposite ends of the size spectrum.
• Charities accounted for 34 reported incidents – Charitable organisations represented 3.9% of reports. Recent data breaches affecting Yorkshire’s Brain Tumour Charity, Sheffield Hospitals Charity and Bradford District and Craven Mind demonstrate how charities can be exposed through the technology suppliers entrusted with supporter information.
• Partnerships and LLPs generated relatively few reports – Partnerships recorded 13 incidents (1.5%), while LLPs accounted for nine (1%). Together, they represented just 2.5% of classified reports, although this may partly reflect the smaller number of organisations operating under these structures rather than a lower level of individual risk.

By financial losses

Insights for Organisational Financial Losses via Business Types

• Limited companies suffered more than two-thirds of recorded losses – Limited businesses experienced £4.1 million in losses (68.7%), considerably more than any other business type. With an average loss of £7.5k per report, their share of the financial damage was also higher than their 63.5% share of reports.
• PLCs experienced the highest average loss among the main business types – Although PLCs accounted for only 6.9% of reports, they suffered £685k in losses (11.5%). The average loss reached £11.4k per report, suggesting that incidents affecting larger organisations can involve substantially greater sums.
• Charities experienced a disproportionate financial impact – Charities generated 3.9% of reports but accounted for £316.2k in losses (5.3%), averaging £9.3k per incident. Combined with the potential exposure of sensitive supporter information, the consequences can extend well beyond the immediate financial loss.
• Organisations classified as “Other” lost almost three-quarters of a million pounds – This group recorded £746.5k in losses (12.5%), with an average of £5.1k per report. The result reinforces how widely cyber crime reaches across different organisational structures.
• Smaller business categories still faced meaningful losses – Sole traders lost £130.7k, LLPs lost £47.2k, and partnerships lost £6.1k. While their combined contribution was relatively small, losses can be harder for smaller organisations to absorb, particularly when accompanied by downtime, recovery costs and disrupted cash flow.

About The Data - Yorkshire & Humber UK Cyber Crime Statistics

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

Data is provided by the following police forces: Humberside, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, and West Yorkshire.

The Yorkshire & Humber 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

Yorkshire & Humber 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 Yorkshire & Humber UK cyber crime statistics, take a look at the following sources:

• Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/26 - UK Gov
• National Cyber Security Centre
• Office for National Statistics