Devon and Cornwall Police issued an alert on February 19, 2026, to warn small business owners and sole traders in Torquay, Devon, about the rising risk of online scams. The warning comes as police data shows that one in two small businesses in the UK were victims of a cyber attack during 2025.
Mick Harrison, the Cyber Protect Officer for the force, is advising local companies to use the Cyber Essentials certification to help strengthen their digital defences. According to the National Cyber Security Centre, organisations that use this government-backed scheme make 92 per cent fewer insurance claims related to online fraud.
This warning is part of a broader local project called Street Focus, which has already seen high-visibility patrols help reduce anti-social behaviour in the town by 25 per cent. Business owners who think they might have been targeted by a scammer can also use the 159 telephone service to be put through to their bank’s fraud department securely.
Further support is being funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner through a crime reduction pilot for businesses in the area. This programme offers professional tools to help local firms stay safe and is currently set to run until April 2026.
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