The Home Office has announced the establishment of a new police unit, the Police Central e-crime Unit (PCeU), to fight cybercrime and internet fraud.
The new unit, which will come into operation in spring 2009, will provide specialist officer training and co-ordinate cross-force initiatives to tackle online offences.
The Metropolitan Police will run the PCeU as a national resource, in conjunction with the National Fraud Reporting Centre and the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau.
The Home Office estimates that 80-90% of crime on the internet (excluding crime relating to children or images of child sexual abuse) is fraud-related. It sees the new unit as a response to the growing threat from e-crime.
