The Cyber Helpline Receives Mayor of London Funding
New £170,000 investment from the Mayor will fund free, expert help for victims of cybercrime, digital fraud and online harm
Funding will create new dedicated London team to help victims of online harassment, cyberstalking, sextortion, hacked social media accounts and other online harms
Investment from the Mayor is part of a one-year pilot to boost the reach and capacity of our which has already helped 600,000 people nationally since 2020
We’re delighted to share that today, The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced £170,000 of funding for The Cyber Helpline from the Mayor of London’s Office for Police and Crime (MOPAC).
The new investment is part of a one-year pilot to boost the reach and capacity of our award-winning charity, which has already helped 600,000 people nationally and directly supported more than 40,000 victims.
The funding will allow us to tailor our support for Londoners and create referral pathways in the capital city for the police and other relevant agencies, developing threat assessments and providing expert advice to help, where appropriate, turn cases into prosecutions.
The action comes as new figures show fraud and computer misuse are now estimated to make up 50 per cent of all incidents of crime in England and Wales and, across the Met, the number of offences flagged as online/internet-enabled crime has risen by 119% between April 2019 and April 2023.
We know from our own data that less than 35% of people using The Cyber Helpline have reported to the police and understand that a large number of people are suffering in silence because they are unclear if their experience meets the threshold of a criminal offence and they don’t know where to go for advice and help. Our data also shows that online harassment and cyberstalking account for most cases, showing that cybercrime is much more nuanced, requiring a more specialist approach to resolution. This funding gives us the opportunity and the means to facilitate that response in London, allowing us to help fill the gap in specialist support available for Londoners experiencing cybercrime and online harm, providing them with straightforward and practical guidance to improve their wellbeing, online confidence and personal safety.
The investment is part of the Mayor’s violence against women and girls strategy which is championing a public health approach to ending violence against women and girls.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Every woman and girl is entitled to be safe, and to feel safe – whatever the time of day and wherever they are in the capital. That includes being safe online and on mobile phones - where we know women and girls are being increasingly targeted.
Too often those impacted don’t know where to turn for expert help and advice. That’s why today I’ve announced new investment to set up a dedicated London helpline team within the award-winning charity The Cyber Helpline to fill the gap in the specialist support available for those in need. This new service will provide Londoners with free expert advice on cybercrime 24 hours a day as part of our action to build a safer London for everyone.”
Claire Waxman OBE, London’s Independent Victims’ Commissioner, said: “For many years, there has been a significant lack of understanding around the impact that online harm, such as cyberstalking, harassment, and 'sextortion' can have on victims, with women and girls disproportionately affected. The complexity of such criminality often leaves victims unsure of their rights and where to turn for support.
The Cyber Helpline is a much-valued member of my Victims Reference Group, and I am grateful for the support that they have provided to victims I have referred to their service, and for the expert knowledge that they have shared with the Met Police to aid investigations into such crime.
I welcome this funding and the Mayor’s commitment to ensuring that Londoners are able to receive the tailored advice and guidance required when navigating through the criminal justice system, as well as the specialist support needed to cope and recover.”
You can read the Mayor’s full press release here.