Analyzing Cybercrime Trends: COVID-19 Impact on Wales & England Data

This research report examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cybercrime levels in Wales and England, focusing on data from 2020-2021. It explores the shift in crime patterns from physical offenses to cyber-dependent crimes due to lockdowns and increased online activity. The research identifies trends in cybercrime, including online shopping fraud and social media hacking, and analyzes the types of fraud experienced by organizations and individuals. It uses qualitative research methods and secondary data from sources like police data and academic journals to provide an in-depth analysis of the rise in cybercrime and the changing landscape of victimization during the pandemic. The report concludes that while traditional crimes decreased, digital crimes surged, highlighting the misuse of technology and the need for increased cybersecurity measures.

Research Project
(Impact of COVID-19 on cybercrime levels by
considering 2020-2021 of open police-recorded data in
Wales and England)

Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Research aim....................................................................................................................................3
Research Objectives.........................................................................................................................4
Research Questions..........................................................................................................................4
Literature review..............................................................................................................................4
What are the trends of cybercrime and shifts in crime opportunities during global pandemic
COVID-19?............................................................................................................................4
What are the frauds suffered by organisations and individuals due to cybercrime during
COVID-19 within Wales and England?.................................................................................4
What is the impact of COVID-19 on cybercrime levels by considering 2020-2021 of open
police-recorded data in Wales and England?.........................................................................5
Proposed research methodology......................................................................................................5
Proposed time table..........................................................................................................................6
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................7
References........................................................................................................................................9

Introduction
The global pandemic of COVID-19 has minimized the social interactions in which
significant impact is seen over pattern of crime (Regalado, Timmer and Jawaid, 2022). Period
of national lock down have seen during the situation of coronavirus and this manner rate of
crimes has minimized. Crime type such as robbery, theft have seen a fall during the COVID
time but at the same time the pattern of crime has changed as now digital crimes are increasing.
People started misusing the computers in which different offences are conducted . The current
poster is related with examining the impact of COVID-19 on the level of cybercrime within
England between the year of 2020-2021.
Figure 1 Distribution of the key Covid-19 inflicted cyber threats based on member countries' feedback
The major rationale of this research is to examine the level of increase in cybercrimes in
the year of 2020-2021 due to the outbreak of COVID-19 (Doig, A. and Levi, M. eds., 2021).
The researcher has chosen the current topic as it was of interest for them and researcher will
increase their personal understanding and knowledge by executing the current research.
Research aim
Research Aim: To measure the impact of COVID-19 on cybercrime levels by
considering 2020-2021 of open police-recorded data in Wales and England.

Research Objectives
 To determine the trends of cybercrime and shifts in crime opportunities during global pandemic
COVID-19
 To analyse the fraud suffered by organisations and individuals due to cybercrime during
COVID-19 within Wales and England
 To identify the impact of COVID-19 on cybercrime levels by considering 2020-2021 of open
police-recorded data in Wales and England
Research Questions
 What are the trends of cybercrime and shifts in crime opportunities during global
pandemic COVID-19?
 What are the frauds suffered by organisations and individuals due to cybercrime during
COVID-19 within Wales and England?
 What is the impact of COVID-19 on cybercrime levels by considering 2020-2021 of
open police-recorded data in Wales and England?
Literature review
What are the trends of cybercrime and shifts in crime opportunities during global pandemic
COVID-19?
According to Levi and Smith, (2021), the trend of cybercrime has changed within the
scenario of global pandemic as due to worldwide lockdown physical crimes were minimised
but at the same time cyber fraud was increased. These frauds are related with hacking of social
media, frauds within online shopping and many others. The cyber dependent crimes are
performed over an individual personnel rather than on an organisation so it can be said that
during this time individuals were highly impacted.
What are the frauds suffered by organisations and individuals due to cybercrime during
COVID-19 within Wales and England?
According to Board, (2020), during COVID-19 time the organisation were supposed to
provide remote working facilities to their employee which led different types of frauds. For the

organisation the threat was related with leaking of organisational information and for individual
threat was related with leaking of their personal and bank details.
What is the impact of COVID-19 on cybercrime levels by considering 2020-2021 of open
police-recorded data in Wales and England?
According to Buil-Gil and et. al., (2021), the cybercrimes were increased due to the
outbreak of COVID-19 as all the physical fraud was stopped and internet related crime was
increased. The pattern of victimisation was changed due to the reason rise in cybercrimes was
seen.
Proposed research methodology
In the current research qualitative research methods will be followed so that in-depth
information related with the research topic can be exerted (Taneja, Taneja and Gupta,
2011).The research has used several secondary sources such as books and journals so that to
acquire information related with the topic and to manage the concepts of the research (Hawdon,
Parti and Dearden, 2020). These methods would be helpful in acquiring related and aligned
information within the research so that researcher would be able to attain research objectives in
clear manner. The major benefit of choosing qualitative research method is that this will
develop in-depth conclusion (Upadhyay and KC, 2014) . Secondary data collection methods
will be used within the research so that using different articles information will be gathered.
Bryman research method are associated with social qualitative research in which the author
stated that with the help of qualitative data collection and analysis method within social science
in-depth analysis can be made on the research topic so that significant conclusion can be drawn
(Bryman, 2016). For the current research secondary data is required so that in-depth analysis
regarding the topic can be made. In order to collect data researcher will use authentic sources
and information using official website (https://data.police.uk/data/) and different books, articles
and newspaper records.

Proposed time table

Conclusion
From the above discussion this can be concluded that due to COVID-19 outbreak the
pattern of crime has been changed which means that the criminals have adopted different
methods to do crimes. Amid COVID-19 the crime rate of theft, murders have been decreased
die to which people are able to live healthy life. On the other hand, crimes related with digital
media have increased such as cybercrime, online fraud and many others. This means that the
people started misusing the computer and technology in which pattern of victimization has been
changed.
Figure 2 Amount of monetary damage caused by reported cyber-crime to the IC3 from 2001 to 2020(in million U.S.
dollars)

References
Books and journals
Board, P.A., 2020. Public Document Pack.
Bryman, A., 2016. Social research methods. Oxford university press.
Buil-Gil, D. and Zeng, Y., 2021. Meeting you was a fake: investigating the increase in romance
fraud during COVID-19. Journal of Financial Crime.
Doig, A. and Levi, M. eds., 2021. Frauds and Financial Crimes: Trends, Strategic Responses,
and Implementation Issues in England and Wales. Routledge.
Levi, M. and Smith, R.G., 2021. Fraud and pandemics. Journal of Financial Crime.
Regalado, J., Timmer, A. and Jawaid, A., 2022. Crime and deviance during the COVID‐19
pandemic. Sociology Compass, 16(4), p.e12974.
Taneja, S.S., Taneja, P.K. and Gupta, R.K., 2011. Researches in corporate social responsibility:
A review of shifting focus, paradigms, and methodologies. Journal of Business
Ethics, 101(3), pp.343-364.
Upadhyay, P. and KC, V.K., 2014. Qualitative Researches In Social Sciences. Janapriya
Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 3, pp.54-61.