Responding to victimisation in a digital word: a case study of fraud and computer misuse reported in Wales

Abstract

This paper presents the early results of a study exploring computer misuse and fraud victimisation in Wales, United Kingdom (UK). The results presented here describe the quality of the data available to local forces, the characteristics and heterogeneity of the victims who report incidents and the nature of the police response at a local level. The significance of these results is considered within the enforcement and victimisation policy context that surrounds computer misuse and fraud. It is argued that while Action Fraud data provides a rich source of data with respect to victims’ needs, specific improvements in data collection and processing could aid local forces in the delivery (or facilitation) of a more victim-focused response. Alongside this, the results highlight how an adequate police response must take victim heterogeneity into account, both at national and local levels. Finally, better understandings of vulnerability (both theoretically informed and empirically tested) are necessary, on which to build an adequate victim-response to these crime types.