The internet connects loved ones, provides useful information, enables online transactions and generally makes life more convenient – but it has also been a boon for criminals.

Using the web, fraudsters can imitate legitimate companies, place ads for non-existent goods and services, or even pose as a friend or relative in distress, all in a bid to extract cash from their victims.

According to data from UK Finance, 77% of authorised push payment (APP) fraud – when criminals manipulate victims into sending money under false pretences – originated online in the first half of 2023.