Richmond MP Rishi Sunak has praised the pioneering work of the UK's national e-crime busting team which is based in North Yorkshire.
The team of digital forensic analysts work out of the national e-crime evidence centre based on the Standard Way Industrial Estate in Northallerton.
Working with a team of investigators based in York, the National Trading Standards e-Crime Team has been set up to tackle the growing threat of internet scams.
E-crime is defined as crime committed using the internet, email or mobile phone technology. It’s a new and challenging area because rogue traders and fraudsters constantly use new techniques and a bewildering array of internet-connected devices to scam and rip-off consumers on a national scale.
The Northallerton-based members of the team examine and gather evidence from a wide array of electronic devices and storage media seized during investigations. Using the latest equipment the team extract and analyse data from just about any type of desktop or laptop computer, tablet, mobile phone or storage medium.
Mr Sunak visited the team along with Cllr Carl Les, Leader of North Yorkshire County Council which jointly hosts the team with the City of York Council.
Mr Sunak said: "I am very proud that a team based in Northallerton plays such a vital role in helping trading standards services nationally to tackle online consumer and business fraud which is costing UK consumers at least £3.5billion each year.
"The scale and ambition of their work is really impressive. Because the potential of the internet is so great, the capacity for criminals to use it to target the innocent and vulnerable is massive."
Among the crimes tackled by the team are:
-
Counterfeit goods, particularly fashion items and children's toys, sold via social media
-
Secondary ticketing – automated bulk purchase of tickets for events to sell on at inflated prices
-
"Free trial" scams – people handover bank details to access trial offer and later find amounts taken from their accounts
-
Bogus printer helplines – telephone numbers, often promoted via social media, connect computer users with bogus technicians who persuade victims to allow their computers to be accessed remotely to steal information and plant malware.
Cllr Les said the council's trading standards team had a long and illustrious record of consumer protection.
"North Yorkshire developed expertise in this field long before many other authorities and we are proud to host this service here on behalf of the whole UK. The work is ground-breaking and helping to bring many online criminals before the courts."