WEST Yorkshire Police want people to talk to older internet users to help them avoid cyber crime.

The force hopes to educate the older generation, perceived as being of a higher risk of online crime, through family and friends.

Detective Inspector Vanessa Smith of the force’s Cyber Unit, said: “So called cyber crime is a real threat and something that can potentially affect anyone, young and old.

"The term cyber crime is perhaps a little misleading and can alienate people as it conjures up images of hi-tech computer software systems only a specialist can understand.

"But in reality the vast majority of so called cyber crime involves traditional crime which now has a digital element – the computer is rapidly becoming the new crowbar.

"There are however, simple steps people can take to reduce their chances of being a victim of cyber crime and we are looking to reach out to particular communities to really spread the message.

"The older community is one where many people do have access to a computer or other such device and perhaps know their way around it quite well – but they haven’t grown up with computers like younger people have.

"That’s why I am appealing directly to sons, daughters, neighbours and friends of older people to have that chat with them and to talk to them about the simple steps they can take to greatly reduce their chances of being a victim.

"It can be as simple as not opening an email that doesn’t look right or having a password that is difficult for a criminal to guess."