Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (Commissioner), David Allen is urging people to check out Get Safe Online’s new free ‘Self Help Tool Centre’, designed to save thousands of people from online scams every year.

The new ‘Self Help Tool Centre’ – hosted on www.getsafeonline.org  – makes it easier for people to check the safety of their online activities, using a range of tools all in one place.

Commissioner, David Allen comments: “With so many people reliant on online services, it is extremely important we help people to use the internet safely, securely and with confidence.

“Get Safe Online is a fantastic organisation and this new ‘Self Help Tool Centre’ will really support the public in learning more about online safety and how to protect themselves and their families, reducing the risk of being targeted by criminals.

“The ‘Self Help Tool Centre’ provides instant access to nine free, easy-to-use tools, to protect themselves, their family, finances, devices and workplace from fraud and other online harms.

“The tools include ways to check whether a photo has been cloned or not, if a company is genuine and if you have been a victim of a data breach, as well as guidance on how to store passwords effectively and a brand-new way to investigate whether you are at risk of oversharing on social media.

“Another good feature is the ‘Check a Website’ option, where users can keep themselves safe by checking if a website is likely to be genuine, before using it.

“If you have been the victim of a cyber-crime, please report it to the Police on 101, or online at Report a crime | Cumbria Police, or alternatively call  Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.”

Tony Neate, CEO of Get Safe Online, comments: “The internet is amazing, but as with so many things, there are downfalls to look out for when using it – scams, fraud, people trying to exploit you and your personal information.

“Launching our Self Help Tool Centre today is a revolutionary initiative and we are very excited to be able to finally offer individuals and businesses the opportunity to check the safety of their online activities in an instant. It has the potential to help so many that we now just want to let as many people to know about it as possible so that the UK can benefit from this new capability and help improve the united fight against scammers.”

Detective Sergeant Stephanie Goulding, Cumbria Constabulary’s Economic Crime Unit, said:

“It is vital that people understand the dangers that lurk online. There are people out there who seek to profit from online fraud and are using technology to do so.This new ‘Self Help Tool Centre’ hosts a range of free tools which you can use to help protect yourself online and provide you with peace of mind.”