Staffordshire Police is to get its first Digital Community Support Officer in the war against cybercrime to ward off the increasing threat from online fraudsters.
PCSO Matthew Hough-Clewes is the first officer in the county to be handed the hi-tech crimebusting role - and one of less than 10 throughout the UK.
Mr Hough-Clewes, an officer with Staffordshire Police since 2009, aims to protect the public and businesses from online fraud and its potentially devastating impact.
He will be able to offer expert advice on keeping safe online and what steps residents can take, by visiting businesses, community groups and public events, while online he will provide advice and answer questions on the Twitter handle, @sp_digitalpcso.
Mr Hough-Clewes said: "Cybercrime is swiftly becoming the most damaging crime a victim can experience. Millions of pounds of money and reams of sensitive data are stolen every year and a lot of this can be prevented with some simple actions.
"I'm here to show you how to protect yourself online and not be tricked into giving away information to the wrong person. There's lots to do and I'm really excited about getting stuck in and improving cyber security in Staffordshire."
Gary Sirrell, detective sergeant from the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit specialist cybercrime team, said: "I've sat through some cyber conferences that have been too technical – and to be honest the small percentage of people who were understanding what was being said were the ones that least needed the advice as they were probably already cyber-savvy.
"We'll be looking for Matt to get across common sense, simple-to-implement online safety advice that can really help people protect their data, take precautions online and implement safeguards.
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"A significant amount of cybercrime could be prevented in the first instance if members of the public were aware of how to protect themselves from becoming victims of online crime."
A dedicated Twitter page has been set up to allow concerned residents to seek advice from Mr Hough-Clewes and can be found on the online platform on the handle @sp_digitalpcso.
