Victim Support Scotland is launching a new campaign to raise awareness of cyber crime, which has risen by 83% in five years (2019-2024)*.

The campaign is launching for Victims’ Awareness Week (20-27 February 2026) which is marked annually to raise awareness of people affected by crime in Scotland.

Why cyber crime?

The theme of cyber crime has been chosen this year due to the growing prevalence and multifaceted nature of this type of offence, as well as the difficulty in legislating new laws swiftly enough to keep up with advancing technology. Recent debates about the use of AI software, such as Grok, have highlighted the potential for this technology to be used for criminal purposes.

The latest Recorded Crime in Scotland data reports that cyber crime represented at least 5% of total recorded crime in 2024-25, including 27% of sexual crimes and 94% of recorded threats and extortion, with most of these cases relating to ‘sextortion.’

The report also notes an 83% increase in cyber crime from 2019-2024.

How to get involved

We’d love for you to get involved and spread the word about Victims’ Awareness Week as an individual or an organisation.

You can download graphics for social media in the below links, and we’ve provided some example messaging to accompany these.


Example social media post:

Cyber crime in Scotland has increased by 83% in five years.

This Victims’ Awareness Week, we are joining Victim Support Scotland to help raise awareness of cyber crime, and the impact it has on people who are affected by it.

Technology is advancing and being used to commit crimes including identity theft, fraud, extortion, sexual abuse, and the sharing and editing of images without consent - including the use of AI.

For more information on Victims’ Awareness Week and how you can get involved, visit ⬇️

https://victimsupport.scot/news/victims-awareness-week-26/

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Please tag Victim Support Scotland on the below channels: