Weekly Fraud Update from West Mercia Police - Economic Crime Unit - 03/03/2026

Weekly Fraud Update from West Mercia Police - Economic Crime Unit - 03/03/2026

ARE YOUR CHILDREN SAFE ONLINE?

Whilst the world of the Internet offers great opportunities for young and old alike, it also presents many risks. Children face multiple threats on-line including cyber bullying, sexual exploitation, invasion of privacy issues and other harmful content. The introduction of AI exacerbates the risks by introducing content based on their searches and profile content

So, with extra time being spent online, how can you protect the younger family members from the potential issues they may face, and make them aware?

First of all, make sure all the safety settings are set up and in place including:

Parental controls on all devices, browsers, and Apps to filter out inappropriate material.

Set strong privacy settings to make sure personal information is only visible to trusted individuals i.e. “Friends only”.

Introduce your child to smartphones and other devices gradually in a monitored way before giving them fuller access

Make use of Safe Search filters such as Google SafeSearch to block out harmful content

Set daily usage time limits for Apps and overall daily screentime.

Explain and encourage safe searching, websites, and apps. Check what they are watching and sharing on streaming sites such as YouTube and TikTok

Always remember that anything you share online, such as images, videos and comments may hang around for much longer than you think.

You could also consider some of the following ideas to protect your children further:

Know about the online risks such as grooming, bullying and sexting (never share inappropriate images you would not want your family and friends to see)

Make sure your child understands what personal information they should never share including location, passwords. Phone numbers, schools, date of birth.

Set up two-factor authentication (2FA) on accounts for a second layer of protection.

Make them aware that most apps may collect data even when privacy settings are in place.

Not everything online will be true, so teach them how to spot misinformation, fake profiles and most important of all – never be rushed into making any decisions.

If there is anything you are not sure about, never cover it up, but do talk to an adult, or a trusted friend or relative.

Please feel free to share these messages with any vulnerable friends, relatives or neighbours

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you have fallen for a fraud,

Report it to Report Fraud (formerly known as ACTION FRAUD) on 0300 123 2040 or via reportfraud.police.uk

Scam Text messages can be forwarded to 7726 to help phone providers take prompt action and block numbers that generate spam on their networks. You can also report Scam mobile calls by texting 7726 with the word “Call” followed by the fraudulent caller’s phone number.

Forward Fake Emails received toreport@phishing.gov.uk

If you think your bank account or personal banking details have been used fraudulently, then use the short phone number - 159 - to contact the Fraud Prevention Department of most major UK banks.

A person wearing boxing gloves

AI-generated content may be incorrect.

Reply to this message

Message Sent By
Michael Barbour
(Police, PSV, Economic Crime Unit – Fraud Protect’)