Merseyside Police is supporting a national day of action and highlighting the importance of online security

Merseyside Police is supporting a national day of action on Monday 17 March, organised by the National Economic Crime Centre (NECC), by highlighting the importance of Two-Step Verification (2SV) in protecting online accounts from cybercriminals.

In an increasingly digital world, criminals find sophisticated ways to compromise social media profiles, email accounts, and other online platforms. These compromised accounts are a useful tool for various types of cyber-enabled fraud, lending credibility to a wide variety of deception schemes.

For instance, criminals might hijack a social media account and use it to send seemingly genuine investment opportunities to the account holder’s contacts. By using a compromised account that appears legitimate, fraudsters can trick victims into believing they are receiving advice from a trusted friend or colleague. Similarly, email account takeovers can be used to intercept sensitive communications or launch targeted phishing attacks.

Detective Sergeant Danny Gavin from the Merseyside Police Cybercrime Unit explained:

“Enabling Two-Step Verification is one of the most effective ways individuals can safeguard their online accounts. Sometimes referred to as Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), this straightforward security measure significantly reduces the risk of unauthorised access, even if a password is compromised.”

Losing control of your online accounts can have devastating consequences. Victims can find themselves locked out of personal and professional communications, while their contacts become targets for fraud attempts. By taking simple steps like enabling 2SV, individuals can prevent these distressing scenarios.

Nicola Pope of St Helens experienced such a scenario in April last year when criminals guessed her Instagram account password. She explained:

“The first that I knew of it was, I got up that morning and looked at my phone. I had messages saying my Instagram account password had been changed.

“Straight away, I went into panic mode. I know other people that this had happened to, and I had always dreaded it. I couldn’t change the password, and in the meanwhile, someone was posting pictures claiming I’d invested in Bitcoin.

“They posted photos of a house and a car I’d supposedly purchased following the successful investment. They also posted graphics promoting Bitcoin, and I heard from friends and family asking me what I was doing.

“I had family photos on there, which were quite precious, and I was worrying about whether my backup of the photos would be okay. It’s the inconvenience of it all, and being unable to recreate the comments attached to the photos at the time.

“I urge people to follow the advice and set up 2SV and don’t use the same password on different accounts. I feel more secure now and confident that if someone attempted the same thing, it would be far more difficult for them.”

Nicola contacted Action Fraud straight away to report what was happening and Merseyside Police followed up the report. She was fortunate to eventually recover access to her account, but many victims end up having to abandon their accounts, often losing images or messages of enormous sentimental value.

The force recommends creating strong passwords for accounts by combining three random words with personal meaning. For example, “BlueChairRainbow” would be a password that is memorable to you and difficult for criminals to guess. The key is to choose words that are significant to you but not easily connected by criminals and to use different passwords for all your accounts.

Detective Sergeant Gavin added:

“As technology continues to evolve, we see artificial intelligence becoming an increasingly sophisticated tool that criminals may exploit. This makes it more important than ever for people to remain vigilant and take proactive steps to protect their digital identities.”

By implementing Two-Step Verification, using strong and unique passwords, and staying informed about potential online threats, individuals can significantly reduce their risk of falling victim to cybercrime.

For advice on how to spot the tactics and techniques commonly used by fraudsters, to help reduce your risk of becoming a victim, visit the Stop! Think Fraud website.

If you suspect you have been the victim of an online fraud, visit Action Fraud for advice and report it or call 0300 123 2040.

Victims of fraud can obtain support from Victim Care Merseyside by calling Freephone 0808 175 3080 on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. or request support online at any time.

If you have information about those committing cybercrime, you can pass information via Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form.

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