REPORTS of cyber crime rose by 185 per cent in Surrey between 2014 and 2015 according to a new study of the nature and scale of online criminality in the county.

The first ever cyber crime profile for Surrey has been published by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, drawing together wide ranging research and data about cyber crime into one place, in a clear and accessible format that can be downloaded and used by anyone.

Its aim is to give agencies, businesses and residents a better understanding of the cyber crime threats and risks faced in Surrey so better responses and plans can be developed.

The study reveals Surrey had the third highest rate of web users in the UK in 2015 with the majority of people in the county spending an average of one to three hours online every day.

Police forces across the UK have seen a sharp rise in reports of crimes committed online – and in Surrey that figure rose by 185 per cent between 2014 and 2015, with one-in-six (15 per cent) reporting as having been a victim in the last 12 months.

The majority of residents now believe online crimes are of equal seriousness to physical crimes, and nearly all raised concern for at least some of the risks they may face online, with identity theft, malware and banking fraud topping the list.

Phishing scams were the most common offence people reported falling victim to on the regional cyber crime survey, while computer software service fraud was the most common offence recorded by Action Fraud in Surrey in 2015.

Nearly 30 per cent of victims reported some form of financial impact, losing on average £100 to £500, and a third of victims said the experience had significantly or severely affected their health and financial well-being.

Yet under-reporting is an issue and nearly a third of residents stated they did not report some or all of the online crimes they were a victim of – people aged 18-44 are least likely to do so.

The amount of time children spend online is increasing. More than four-in-five young people aged five-15 are now able to access the internet in their own homes, and the amount of time children spend online has doubled since 2005.

This is fuelled by an increasing use of tablets and smartphones, with 94 per cent of surveyed adolescents aged 10-19 owning their own smartphone – a 15 per cent rise since 2013/14.

Nationally, 78 per cent of children reported that they had joined social media sites before reaching the minimum age of 13. In Surrey, 90 per cent of 11 to 12 year olds have been found to be ignoring age restrictions.

The study also found cyber bullying peaks in the mid to late teens.

Unlike face to face bullying, which tends to reduce as pupils get older, cyber bullying shows the opposite trajectory; increasing to a peak in the mid to late teens.

Young people with special educational needs (SEN) and those receiving free school meals are more at risk of cyber bullying than other kids.

In Surrey, more SEN students admitted to having been a victim of abusing, bullying or threatening behaviour online.

Many of the problems posed by “sexting” - the act of sending someone sexually explicit photographs or messages via a mobile phone – come from peers such as “friends” on social networks, rather than strangers, with girls and older teens most at risk.

Between April and December 2015, there were 1,160 reported incidents of revenge porn – 22 in Surrey.

Three-quarters of parents have looked for or received advice to help manage their child’s online risks, but not all are aware of what’s available. In Surrey, three per cent of parents who responded to the resident survey reported not knowing how to protect their children whilst they are online.

The majority of victims of online offences in Surrey tended to be female and aged between 10 and 30, but older people are at particular risk of fraud and scams.

More than seven-out-of- 10 older people in Britain are reported to be targeted by scams every month.

The harm caused to victims of cyber crime also increases with age, with elderly victims feeling a greater impact on their health and financial wellbeing than younger victims.

The scale of cyber crime against UK businesses is rising, with cyber crime expected to affect over half of British firms in the next two years. But more than two in five UK businesses believe they are unlikely to be a target for cyber crime, and almost a quarter (23 per cent) admit that they are not sure what to do to protect themselves.

Surrey police and crime commissioner David Munro said: “While the criminal perpetrating the offence often remains unseen, the lasting and often devastating effect on people's lives can sadly be all too apparent.

“We know around 80 per cent of fraud and cyber crime is preventable, so it's crucial our residents and businesses know how to protect themselves online.

“This profile is the first-ever attempt to bring information about cyber crime in Surrey into one place and I hope it provides a solid foundation on which to build response and action plans to help protect residents from this ever evolving area of crime.”