GeraGuard · UK Cyber Crime Statistics
UK cyber crime statistics: fraud & computer misuse by type
UK cyber crime — measured as fraud and computer misuse — affected adults in England and Wales an estimated 4.85 million times in year ending March 2025, according to the Office for National Statistics' Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW). This page breaks the figure down by offence type and explains how to protect yourself.
Quick answer
In year ending March 2025, the CSEW estimated 4,851,000 fraud and computer-misuse incidents in England and Wales: 4,159,000 fraud incidents and 692,000 computer-misuse incidents. The single largest type is bank and credit account fraud (2,449,000 incidents).
4.85m
Total fraud & computer-misuse incidents
4.16m
Fraud incidents
692,000
Computer-misuse incidents
Incidents by offence type (year ending March 2025)
CSEW estimated incidents experienced by adults aged 16+, rounded to the nearest 1,000. Select a type for detail and protection advice.
| Offence type | Category | Estimated incidents |
|---|---|---|
| Bank and credit account fraud | Fraud | 2,449,000 |
| Consumer and retail fraud | Fraud | 1,091,000 |
| Unauthorised access to personal information (including hacking) | Computer misuse | 564,000 |
| Advance fee fraud | Fraud | 381,000 |
| Other fraud | Fraud | 237,000 |
| Computer virus | Computer misuse | 128,000 |
| Total (CSEW headline) | 4,851,000 | |
Note: subtype rows sum to the published totals subject to ONS rounding. A separate police-recorded measure (Action Fraud / NFIB) recorded 1,281,354 offences in the same year — lower because most fraud is never reported.
How to protect yourself
Lock down your bank and card accounts
Bank and credit account fraud is the single largest category — an estimated 2,449,000 incidents in year ending March 2025. Enable transaction alerts, never share one-time passcodes, and verify any "your account is at risk" message by calling the number on the back of your card rather than a number supplied in the message.
Treat unexpected purchase and delivery messages with suspicion
Consumer and retail fraud accounts for an estimated 1,091,000 incidents. Buy from sellers you can verify, pay by card or another method with chargeback protection, and ignore "missed delivery" or "fee owed" texts that link to a payment page.
Never pay an upfront fee to release a prize, loan or job
Advance fee fraud — where you are asked to pay first to unlock a larger benefit — accounts for an estimated 381,000 incidents. A legitimate prize, inheritance, loan or job never requires you to send money first.
Harden your accounts and devices against computer misuse
Computer misuse — unauthorised access (including hacking) and computer viruses — accounts for an estimated 692,000 incidents. Use a unique password per account with a password manager, turn on two-factor authentication, and keep your browser, operating system and apps patched.
Reduce your attack surface in the browser
Most fraud and malware reaches you through the browser — malicious ads, fake login pages and tracking scripts that profile you. A privacy and tracker-blocking extension removes a large share of the malicious-ad and phishing surface before it loads.
Block malicious ads & trackers with GeraGuard
Free Chrome extension. Removes a large share of the malicious-ad and phishing surface before it loads.
Install freeFrequently asked questions
How much cyber crime is there in the UK?
In year ending March 2025 the ONS Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) estimated about 4.85 million fraud and computer-misuse incidents experienced by adults aged 16 and over — roughly 4.16 million fraud incidents and 692,000 computer-misuse incidents.
What is the most common type of fraud in the UK?
Bank and credit account fraud is the most common type, with an estimated 2,449,000 incidents in year ending March 2025 — well over half of all fraud incidents measured by the CSEW.
Why is the survey figure so much higher than police-recorded fraud?
The CSEW estimate (4.85 million incidents) counts crimes experienced by the public, whether or not they were reported. Action Fraud / NFIB recorded only 1,281,354 offences in the same year, because most fraud is never reported to the police.
Where does this data come from?
Office for National Statistics (ONS) — Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW), fraud and computer misuse. fraudandcomputermisuseappendixtablesyemarch25final.xlsx (Tables 1 and 2), reference period April 2024 to March 2025. Published under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3). Retrieved 2026-06-27.
How can I protect myself from UK cyber crime?
Enable two-factor authentication and transaction alerts, use a unique password per account, never share one-time passcodes or pay upfront fees, verify messages independently, and block malicious ads and trackers in your browser.
Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS) — Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW), fraud and computer misuse. fraudandcomputermisuseappendixtablesyemarch25final.xlsx (Tables 1 and 2), reference period April 2024 to March 2025.
Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3) © Crown copyright. Data retrieved: .