Over the past year, we’ve taken a closer look at cyber crime data specifically for the East of England. National headlines often focus on big cities and large-scale incidents, but we wanted to understand what is really happening here in our region.
What the data shows is both familiar and concerning.
Consumer fraud accounts for 38.9% of all reports across the East of England, making it the most common crime type affecting individuals. However, when we look at financial impact, the picture changes. Investment fraud drives 48% of total reported losses, equating to £52.8m, despite far lower report volumes.
Age trends also reveal something important. Individuals aged 50–69 account for over 41% of total financial losses, suggesting that while younger groups report more incidents, older age groups are suffering the most severe financial impact.
For organisations, the findings are just as telling. Limited companies represent 70.5% of total organisational losses (£10.2m), reflecting the SME-heavy make-up of the East of England economy. Meanwhile, banking fraud accounts for 45.6% of organisational losses (£6.6m), highlighting ongoing risks around payment diversion and invoice manipulation.
What stands out most is the gap between volume and severity. High-frequency scams continue to chip away at individuals and businesses, but it is lower-volume investment and banking fraud that causes the most significant financial damage.
For SME leaders across Norfolk and the wider East of England, this reinforces the need for strong payment controls, consistent use of multi-factor authentication, regular staff awareness training, and proactive monitoring rather than reactive fixes.
We believe understanding the local picture is the first step in reducing local risk.
If you would like to explore the regional breakdown, you can read it here:
https://beaconit.co.uk/east-of-england-cyber-crime-statistics