People in Lincolnshire reported losing out on more than £26 million due to fraud in the last 13 months alone, as it's hoped a new Online Safety Bill will make social media platforms more accountable for user safety.

According to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, Lincolnshire Police received a staggering 4,191 reports of fraud or cybercrime over 13 months, which amounted to £26.3 million in losses.

The Online Safety Bill, set to become law later this year, aims to make social media platforms more accountable for user safety, mandating companies to implement measures to prevent their services from being used for illegal activities and to remove illegal content promptly.

According to consumer champion Which?, big tech currently has no legal responsibility to prevent criminals from operating on their platforms, allowing platforms to take a reactive approach to removing harmful content.

Rocio Concha, Which? director of policy and advocacy, said: "These new laws should make a big difference by putting the onus on tech firms to stop them from appearing in the first place.

"The tech giants need to get their houses in order ahead of these new laws coming into force, while Ofcom must hold platforms to a high standard and stand ready to take enforcement action, including fines, against firms that fail to meet those standards."

Data from Action Fraud reveals that of the over 4,000 reports of fraud in Lincolnshire, 70% were cyber-enabled, and 926 reports were related to online shopping and auctions.

A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Police said "Protecting the public from the threat of such a devastating crime is of huge importance, and we welcome the Online Safety Bill as a way to ensure we keep people safe.

"To avoid becoming a victim of online crime you don't need to be a computer expert.

"Developing a few good online habits drastically reduces your chances of becoming a victim of cybercrime, makes you less vulnerable and lets you use the web safely."

Martyn Parker, assistant director for public protection at Lincolnshire County Council, explained: "Fraud-related content will not only need to be removed, but companies will have to prevent it from appearing at all.

"It is understood that Ofcom will be able to take action against companies no matter where they are based, which is good news as perpetrators of fraud work across national borders.

"Companies will also provide tools that offer people greater ability to filter out unverified users and block anonymous trolls. The changes should be hugely beneficial for children and young people."

However, he added: "This is a massive change for technology companies, and it is going to take some time before all the protective factors are put in place.

"So educating young people and discussing online safety remains a priority for the [Lincolnshire] Stay Safe Partnership, schools and parents/carers."

With the Online Safety Bill on the horizon, the emphasis on digital literacy and online safety has never been more pertinent.

Some of the things Lincolnshire Police advised, include:

• Creating strong passwords – try using three unrelated words and think of three different words for each account so that if one is compromised, the others are safe.
• Never giving out personal, financial or sensitive details online or over email.
• Making sure all devices are up-to-date with the latest anti-virus software and a firewall installed.
• Only opening emails and attachments from known and trusted sources.
• Be extremely cautious if you're asked for money.
• Setting your social media privacy levels to the highest setting.
• Always remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Martyn Parker said preventative activity and raising awareness of digitally-enabled fraud and ID theft is a priority for the Safer Lincolnshire Partnership.

"Local data indicates that 56% of victims or those at risk of fraud have experienced fraud or attempted fraud by email or the internet, including social media," he said.

"Our dedicated officer works closely with victims and those at risk to support them."

He also encourages parents and carers to engage in regular conversations with children about the online world, as children who discuss their online life with their parents are more likely to take action or inform someone when they have a negative online experience.

Resources to help fight fraud

• Protecting Yourself – Get Safe Online
• Take Five – To Stop Fraud | To Stop Fraud (takefive-stopfraud.org.uk)
• To report fraud, contact Action Fraud on 03001232040.
• For advice, contact Get help with scams – Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133.

For parents/carers, sites like www.internetmatters.org provide a great resource to learn more about the parental controls already available to them.