A City of London Police leader overseeing Britain’s fight against fraud has revealed he was the victim of online scammers.
Tijs Broeke called for the Government to focus on tackling an “industrial-scale” epidemic which cost consumers £1.17billion last year.
He also wants pupils taught at school on how to avoid cons while purchasing concert tickets for the likes of Oasis and Taylor Swift or bargain hunting on Black Friday.
Mr Broeke, chair of the City of London Police Authority Board, said during the pandemic, he was “extra vulnerable” while recovering from long Covid when he saw an advert for pain relief on Twitter, now X.
He clicked on a link to a website and entered his credit details, but then received multiple pop-ups for amounts of £25.
Mr Broeke, who was reimbursed by his bank, told the Standard: “It can happen to everybody and, yes, it happened to me at a moment when I was probably not at my best.”
Speaking after the joint National Police Chiefs’ Council and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners annual conference in Westminster, he said fraud now accounts for 39 per cent of all crime and nine in 10 offences has an online element.
Often criminals are based overseas and law enforcement doesn’t have the resources it needs, Mr Broeke added.
The former special constable is urging banking and social media giants to share more data to combat crime.
City of London detectives lead the national fight against fraud and cybercrime which is “harming the fabric of our society and economic growth”, said Mr Broeke.
The Square Mile’s fightback will be boosted by a £600 million police headquarters, courthouse and offices - known as Salisbury Square - which is under construction on Fleet Street and due to open in 2026.
“It is time we started looking at policing in the 21st century,” he added. “It’s about keeping us safe on our streets and online.
“Often people see fraud as a victimless crime. Even low-level amounts have a massive impact on mental health. For some, there’s a feeling of shame and lots of people, who may have lost a few thousand pounds, that’s their life savings gone. There’s also a feeling of insecurity.
“I would like my message to criminals to be: ‘Don’t try it in the UK because we will come after you and work with international partners to get you’.”
