A TOP cop has warned people in Renfrewshire to be vigilant - because scammers only need to get it right once to land a jackpot. 

Chief Inspector Simon Wright has spoken out after it was revealed there has been a 60 per cent increase in cyber crime in the area in the last year. 

Reported offences included online credit and debit card fraud, with Ch Insp Wright urging people to be careful what they click in their emails. 

“There’s a general trend towards cyber fraud,” he told the latest meeting of the Police and Fire and Rescue Scrutiny Sub-Committee. 

“Phishing is where someone will get an email with a link and click on it.  These people have lots of time on their hands. They might try a thousand times and from one person they get £40,000.”

In 2018/19, a total of 131 crimes were considered cyber in nature but Ch Insp Wright expressed concerns not all victims come forward. 

He said: “A lot of cyber fraud might not yet get reported to us. There are national measures to address that. 

“People get embarrassed. If you experience fraud and lose your life savings, you might not want to come forward. 

“Everyone is susceptible and there’s support out there you can access.”

Police Scotland guidance on fraud stresses the importance of reporting it and any other financial crime via 101 without delay. 

Reporting incidents assists police in tackling fraud and enables officers to identify areas of concern and patterns of behaviour. 

Ch Insp Wright confirmed that cyber crime is not restricted to fraud, adding that it can include incidents of menacing and indecent communications offences, as well as threats to disclose indecent images of complainers. 

“The sexual element of cyber crime has been there for some time,” he said. “That continues to be a problem for us.”