Scotland’s only dedicated charity supporting individuals affected by cybercrime and fraud has announced the appointment of its first chief executive.
Alex Dowall, a former detective superintendent with Police Scotland, will lead the Cyber and Fraud Hub – set up in July 2024 to help support the growing number of people being targeted by online scams.
His extensive background in cyber crime, combined with his experience and achievements in his first year in the Cyber and Fraud Centre – Scotland, positions him uniquely to steer the Hub through its next phase of growth.
Dowall, who has over 30 years’ of policing experience, said: “The Cyber and Fraud Hub will continue to work closely with Police Scotland, banks, and leading technology companies to provide the public with comprehensive support, and fraud prevention education. As it enters its second year, the Hub remains committed to its mission to create a safer digital future for individuals.”
In its first year, the Hub has:
- Handled fraud cases worth over £9.5m helping to recover close to £700,000, through its helpline and collaborations.
- Assisted nearly 290 individuals, with all aspects of online cyber and fraud.
- Forged key collaboration partnerships with leading financial institutions like Natwest, Barclays and Metro, and other organisations including Ask Silver, Trading Standards Scotland and Age Scotland.
It was set up last year after receiving a ‘substantial’ donation from car retailer Arnold Clark, itself a victim of a major cyberattack in December 2022, which led to customer data being leaked on the dark web by the ransomware hacking gang Play.
Jude McCorry, chief executive of Cyber and Fraud Centre – Scotland, the organisation behind the initiative, added: “Our charity, the Cyber and Fraud Hub, was set up by a team at the Centre to deal with the increasing level of calls we were getting from individuals.
“The small team has achieved way more than we could have imagined in the first year, and it’s now time for Alex to take on the role of chief executive to continue to support the growth and the victim support. We look forward to working together and seeing both the Centre and the Hub go from strength to strength.”