The Manx constabulary has launched its cyber crime strategy for the next five years.

Some 21% of people in the island have had an online account compromised and 91% of us have received a fraudulent email, latest statistics show.

And with 98% of us shopping online and 89% banking online, prevention is at the heart of the police’s strategy.

Cyber crime is any offence which is committed through, or enabled by, the use of technology. It continues to be on the rise.

Technological advances of email and mobile devices have increased the potential for offending and make it harder for perpetrators to be identified as they can commit offences from anywhere in the world.

The cyber crime strategy sets out the police’s priorities in this area until 2023. ’Stopping people from falling victim to cyber crime is our intention,’ the introduction to the report notes.

It adds: ’We live in a digital age and the landscape of crime and offending is changing rapidly.

’Despite rises locally in fraud scams, phishing and malware, the threat and risk to the Isle of Man and the delivery of policing in this area is somewhat unknown, which is why understanding our demand is so important.’

The police aim to use new systems and processes to capture activity in the island and provide a reporting pathway.