Government puts faith in Bill to tackle e-crime

Police will have greater powers

The government said this week that the Serious Crime Bill will be sufficient to tackle e-crime, which cost UK internet users more than £3bn last year.

The Bill, currently in the House of Lords, will make it an offence to assist another person in committing an offence and allow for more public sector data sharing.

Home Office minister Vernon Coaker told the e-crime Congress on Tuesday that the government will react to fast-moving technology and introduce new legislation if necessary.

‘The government wants a modern legislative framework,’ he said. ‘Where there is a need to revise legislation we are committed to ensuring criminal law is fit for purpose. With the Serious Crime Bill we believe current law will be.’

Since the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit was disbanded last April, the Serious Organised Crime Agency has handled major e-crime investigations, with local forces tackling smaller cases.

But Bill Hughes, director general of Soca, hinted that police forces may not be as efficient at handling e-crime as first thought.

He said people might think all police forces operate like Soca.

‘This is where law enforcement officers in the audience will quietly chuckle to themselves,’ he said.

E-crime is an increasingly serious problem. Figures published this week by campaign awareness group Get Safe Online show that 12 per cent of UK internet users – some 3.5 million people – were victims of online fraud last year. Each attack cost an average of £875, a total of more than £3bn.