Latest News

Data breaches costing UK £4bn per year

Published

3 years ago

August 10, 2022

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Credas Technologies, the leading identity verification checks provider, has revealed that identity theft is the driving factor behind more than 28 million data breaches across the UK since 2013, breaches that cost the nation close to £4 billion each and every year.

On a global level, it is estimated that there have been close to 10 billion digital data records stolen or breached since 2013. The UK ranks fifth when it comes to national total data breaches, with over 140 million files stolen or breached in this timeframe, trailing just the USA, India, China, and South Korea.

Across the UK, this equates to an average of 28 million data breaches per year, which is estimated to cost the UK £3.7 billion on an annual basis.

One of the most common motivations for data hacking is identity fraud and the latest data from the National Fraud Database (NFD) shows this fraudulent practice accounts for 63% of all cases of fraudulent conduct. What’s more, cases of identity fraud across the UK have increased by 22% in the past year alone.

With id fraud rising so dramatically, how do companies and individuals avoid falling victim to data hacking criminals? The most important thing is to know exactly what the warning signs are and what you need to be looking out for.

Warning signs of identity theft

Missing Documents

Sensitive documents which hold personal information – such as a passport or driving licence – are incredibly valuable to identity thieves. If you discover that any such documents are missing, there is a chance that someone is using your personal information to make purchases or take out credit cards or loans in your name.

Missing Mail

In a similar vein, if you notice that bank or credit card statements are not arriving through the post, it might indicate that someone is intercepting your mail and stealing the sensitive information held inside.

Unrecognised items on bank statement

Very few people make a point of studying their bank statements each month, but with identity fraud on the rise, it’s more important than ever to do so. Each month, go through your statement and if you spot any transactions that you don’t recognise, contact your bank or credit card provider immediately. They will then help you figure out what’s going on and put a halt to any illegal activity that might be taking place.

Duplicated claims

If, for example, you apply for state benefits and are refused on the grounds that you already claim such benefits, it’s important that you look into the situation rather than ignore it because there’s a chance that someone else has applied and is receiving benefits in your name.

Solicitor letters

If you receive letters from solicitors, debt collectors, or bailiffs, etc, chasing money that you are sure you don’t owe, it can indicate that someone else is running up debt in your name. The same applies if you receive a court summons that you aren’t expecting.

Unexpected deliveries

If you receive deliveries that you have not ordered, it might suggest that someone else is making purchases with your money, especially if the delivered items are expensive, such as a laptop, television, or smartphone. Someone may have ordered the item using your name and bank details and simply forgotten to change the delivery address or intercept the package.

Tampered bins

Finally, if you notice that your rubbish or recycling bins have been tampered with, it might be that someone has rummaged through them in search of discarded documents that contain sensitive information. To avoid any such risk, it’s important to shred or destroy sensitive documents before throwing them away.

Tim Barnett, CEO of Credas Technologies says

“All of the most important financial elements of our lives are now handled online. We have passwords and logins for everything from our current accounts to our pension pots and we also apply for new bank accounts, mortgages, rental properties and more online.

While this brings great convenience, it also leaves you vulnerable to criminals and today, the lengths these criminals will go to are advancing at a faster rate than some businesses and organisations are improving their digital security.

Companies big and small need to make sure they’re doing all they can in the fight against online criminality and while that starts with ensuring they have a robust and unbreachable tech infrastructure, it also involves verifying the identity of consumers before they have the opportunity to infiltrate our society.

This is really the absolute minimum that should be done and with many companies choosing to do this manually, it allows far too many to slip through the cracks, enabling them to conduct criminal activities at ground level.”

Latest News

SlotMatrix ignites the reels of West Virginia with Wild Extravaganza launch

Published

4 hours ago

August 22, 2025

George Miller

Reading Time: < 1 minute

SlotMatrix, the world’s largest casino content aggregator, has expanded Wild Extravaganza’s reach in the U.S launching in West Virginia, alongside existing markets, New Jersey and Michigan.

Wild Extravaganza is a high-energy 5×3 video slot that packs vibrant visuals, dynamic gameplay, and huge win potential in a 10-payline experience. The game pays left to right, right to left, and even from the middle, offering players multiple chances to win on every spin.

The core feature of Wild Extravaganza is its multiplying wilds, which can stack on three of the five reels and can reveal a 2x, 3x, or 7x win multiplier.

Wild Extravaganza is fully supported by EveryMatrix’s suite of advanced engagement tools, including free spins, leaderboards, and tournaments, helping operators drive acquisition and retention in regulated U.S markets.

This U.S release is part of a recent surge of SlotMatrix exclusive games entering the market, including 3 Coin Treasures, Lara Jones Treasures of Egypt 2, and Glorious Diamonds.

EveryMatrix holds licences in key North American markets, including West Virginia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Ontario, and powers more than 300 customers globally.

Stephen Orchard, Head of Commercial Operations, SlotMatrix, said: “Wild Extravaganza is all about giving players thrilling, fast-paced action and the chance to land some seriously big wins. We’re excited to bring this experience to West Virginia as we continue our expansion across the U.S.”

The post SlotMatrix ignites the reels of West Virginia with Wild Extravaganza launch appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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DATA.BET Secures Spot at SBC Summit 2025

Published

4 hours ago

August 22, 2025

George Miller

Reading Time: < 1 minute

The company strengthens its market position with the recent launch of sports betting

DATA.BET, a trusted sportsbook solution supplier, will present its expanded portfolio at SBC Summit 2025 in Lisbon, stand D160. The company now offers a unified solution covering sports, esports, and virtual sports.

From September 16 to 18, the company’s representatives will unveil the updated product suite. Building on its established presence in esports and virtual sports betting, DATA.BET has expanded into traditional sports betting, covering over 50,000 sports events per month across 63+ pre-match and 38 live sports disciplines. The company’s 24/7 in-house trading team maintains 93% market uptime while delivering 1000+ betting markets backed by official data partnerships.

Each betting vertical, as well as individual sports and leagues within them, can be activated separately or combined based on market needs. Operators can instantly launch the complete sportsbook solution through a ready-to-use Single Page Application (iFrame), while those with an existing betting platform can integrate directly via the Odds Feed API.

At SBC Summit, visitors will explore DATA.BET’s core products: Risk Management system, Odds Feed, Widgets, Streams, SPA (iFrame), and Bet Builder available for all three verticals. The latest features joined our comprehensive suite include Hot Bundles for express betting optimization and Timeline Widget for enhanced game process tracking.

“This marks our first offline presentation of the complete sportsbook solution we launched in May with our full product range and latest features for betting,” said Natalie Loshatynska, Head of PR & Marketing at DATA.BET. “We look forward to showing SBC Summit participants how our technology empowers operators and platform providers to offer their clients a more dynamic and engaging betting experience.”

Discover DATA.BET’s betting technology solution at stand D160. Connect with the team at [email protected] to schedule a meeting.

The post DATA.BET Secures Spot at SBC Summit 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Latest News

Bacta commissioned research shows huge support for seaside arcades led by Gen Z

Published

5 hours ago

August 22, 2025

George Miller

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The findings of independent research conducted by Censuswide among a sample of 2,000 UK Nationally representative respondents aged 16+ shows that Generation Z has fallen in love with the seaside arcades so popular with their grandparents.

The research reveals that 8 in 10 respondents (81 percent) view seaside arcades as being part of British culture and it is young Brits that are banging the drum for arcades, with 90 percent of 25–34-year-olds backing their importance.

Despite overwhelming public support from Britain’s younger generations, seaside arcades continue to face a perfect storm of challenges from rising energy and staffing costs, plus the threat of increased taxation as suggested by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

72 percent say Government should do more to protect them – with 86 percent of those aged 25-34-years calling for urgent action.

The research findings confirm the central role played by seaside arcades with 72 percent of adults saying they would visit an arcade on a trip to the seaside a figure that rises to 91 percent for 24-34-year-olds.

In terms of providing accessible entertainment 55 percent say that arcades offer great value for money, making them the UK’s most affordable family day out. As a result, 84 percent confirmed they have enjoyed arcades with multiple generations of their family.

The importance of contributions to local economies featured highly in the research paper with 7 in 10 stating that arcades play a key role in regenerating seaside towns, a figure that rises to 85 percent of 18-24-year-olds.

Reflecting on the research findings Joseph Cullis, President of UK trade association, Bacta said: “Britain’s seaside arcades are a vital element of our proud tourism industry, a modern cultural icon, and have been a fun family activity for more than a century.

“It’s brilliant but not surprising to see young people are embracing them with all the enthusiasm of their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents before them.

“At Bacta, we’re fighting to protect our seaside arcades from the threats of rising costs and from those who want to tax them out of existence. We hope that local councillors, MPs and the Treasury will heed the wants and needs of the British people and protect these vital institutions.”

Elliot Ball, who co-owns and runs Clacton Pier with his brother Billy, said other attractions would be at risk if arcades were taxed even more.

“I’m the fifth generation of my family – on both sides – involved in amusement arcades so this is a labour of love” he stated.

“But the threat from the government to raise gambling tax would put at risk a traditional family day out to the seaside. Trips here have been making memories for generations, and it’s great that younger people are finding the same safe, harmless fun on the pier that has been raising a smile and lighting up eyes for years and years.

“We’ve bounced back from the pandemic and the rise of staycations helps, but many of Britain’s most beloved seaside attractions will be put at high risk if gambling taxes rise.”

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