Centre for Cybercrime and Economic Crime

Join us on Saturday 2nd May 2026 for a showcase of all the University does to tackle crime through education, innovation and research.

If the subject of crime fascinates you, then come and join us for a festival of interactive crime displays showcasing the most recent advances in tackling and understanding crime. Hosted by the University of Portsmouth's School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, and with partners in policing, the fire service and the military, there will be something for everyone on the day. Colleagues from the Centre for Cybercrime and Economic Crime will be present to showcase how their innovative research helps to tackle fraud, cybercrime and online harms.

Attendance is open to all and free of charge, but please register via Eventbrite.

The 15th International Counter Fraud, Cybercrime and Forensic Accounting Conference will be hosted at the University of Portsmouth on Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18 June 2026.

This year's conference will welcome more than 70 international experts sharing research and real-world insight across a diverse programme that reflects the interdisciplinary nature of contemporary fraud, forensic accounting and cybercrime scholarship and practice. Themed panels will explore:

• Financial crime, illicit finance and forensic accounting
• Fraud techniques, victimisation and harm
• Cyber-enabled economic crime and global legal responses
• Trafficking, exploitation and organised crime in digital contexts
• AI-driven deception, risk management and emerging technologies
• Language, communication and behavioural dimensions of fraud
• Extremism, radicalisation and online harms

Together, these sessions offer an opportunity to exchange insight, explore innovative approaches, share practical research relevant to academics, practitioners and policymakers working across cybercrime, economic crime and forensic accounting.

For the full programme and link to register, please see our conference webpage.

Please sign up to our mailing list to receive notifications about the conference and other upcoming events and calls for papers. You can read more about last year's conference here.

Join us for the launch of "Researching Incels: A Critical Feminist Intervention", an exciting new Emerald title by Dr Stu Lucy (Centre for Cybercrime and Economic Crime), Professor Lisa Sugiura (Centre for Cybercrime and Economic Crime) and Dr Frazer Heritage (Manchester Metropolitan University).

As the world wakes up to the incel problem following Netflix’s Adolescence, many examples of research into incels over the past decade have been poorly conducted. Researching Incels is a crucial intervention into problematic incel research – calling for a new framework for rigorous, responsible research to inform policy on the incel crisis.

Join us for a short panel discussion chaired by Professor Paul Smith, Head of the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Portsmouth, followed by refreshments. The book’s authors will discuss their motivations for writing this book, personal experiences and reflections on engaging with poor incel research, and the wider implications this work can have on government policy and research funding allocations.

This is a hybrid event with a drinks reception to follow.

Date and time: Wednesday 27th May 2026, 4.30pm–6.00pm (UK time)
Format: Hybrid (in person and online)
Venue: Park Building, Room 1.09, University of Portsmouth, PO1 2DZ

Programme (approx. 1 hour):
– Opening remarks: Prof. Paul Smith (5 minutes)
– Panel discussion: Dr. Stu Lucy, Dr. Frazer Heritage, and Prof. Lisa Sugiura (30 minutes)
– Audience Q&A and closing (25 mins)

After the formal programme there will be a reception and networking for in-person attendees, with drinks.

Registration via our Eventbrite page is required for both in-person and online attendance.

What happens when the approach to cybersecurity moves from one of international cooperation to one of international competition?

Drawing from his recently published book, "Geopolitical Union: Europe's Attempt to Take Back Control of Technology Regulation", and work conducted in Digital Sovereignty by Design ESRC project, Professor Benjamin Farrand's (Newcastle University) fascinating guest lecture examined the ways in which the return of big power politics in an environment of international instability is reshaping the approach to cybercrime and cybersecurity and how cybersecurity is increasingly seen as a zero-sum game, with significant implications for the future of technology regulation. Among the topics discussed by Professor Farrand were the form and substance of the UN Cybercrime Convention,  attempts to influence cybersecurity rules and norms though international organisations, and the increased concerns over access to cutting-edge AI models, and the chips and rare earths that support them.

Held on 4 March 2026, this event celebrated the launch of “Trade-Based Money Laundering: Compliance and the Law” by Centre member Dr Branislav Hock and co-author Dr Mariola Marzouk – a new Routledge title examining how illicit finance hides in plain sight within legitimate global trade and how law, compliance and enforcement can respond.

We were joined by Professor Elizabeth David-Barrett (Professor of Governance and Integrity and Director of the Centre for the Study of Corruption, University of Sussex), and Professor Mark Button (Professor of Criminology and Director of the Centre for Cybercrime and Economic Crime, University of Portsmouth) for a discussion of the key topics explored in this important new book, and personal reflections from the authors.

Held online on 15 January 2026, the 7th Winter Economic Crime Symposium, “Economic Crime Clichés: Pseudo-Policing and Crime Control”, brought together speakers from universities, civil society organisations, think tanks and practice to examine how well current approaches to fraud, corruption and money laundering are really working.  

The event attracted more than 130 active participants from 36 countries, reflecting the truly global nature of contemporary economic crime challenges. 

Organised by Dr Branislav Hock, Professor Mark Button, and Dr David Shepherd from the University of Portsmouth's Centre for Cybercrime and Economic Crime (CCEC), and supported by the Journal of Economic Criminology and the International Society of Economic Criminology, the symposium focused on when economic-crime control becomes more about box-ticking than about reducing harm. 

You can read more about this event here.

CCEC's inaugural public lecture took place on 9 December 2025 and explored the geographies of scamming examining some of the places where scamming is common, focusing upon two areas of the world where there are ‘small industries’ of scammers targeting the UK and other Western countries: West Africa and India. The lecture was chaired by Professor Mark Button, Co-Director of the Centre for Cybercrime and Economic Crime and featured three prominent speakers who have researched this subject extensively: Professor Tim Hall from Winchester University explored the geography of scamming. Dr Paul Gilmour discussed scamming in India drawing upon a work package he led on India for a global overview of scam centres conducted by colleagues at the Centre for Cybercrime and Economic Crime. Dr Bing Han discussed her research into Southeast Asian fraud compounds.

The lecture was recorded and will soon be available on CCEC's soon-to-be-launched YouTube channel.

This panel discussion, chaired by Dr Aram Ghaemmaghami and featuring CCEC members Professor Lisa Sugiura, Anda Solea and Dr Stu Lucy, brought together experts from criminology, cybercrime, gender studies, digital media, sociology, and online harms to examine the growing influence of the "manosphere". The manosphere is a collection of online communities that often promote misogynistic ideologies and rigid expectations of masculinity. Panellists explored explore how these spaces form, what drives participation, and the broader cultural and political implications of their messages. The discussion addressed the impact of online misogyny on women and marginalised groups, the role of algorithms and platform design, and the challenges of moderation and policy enforcement. The panel aimed to foster a critical and constructive conversation about combating gender-based hate online while supporting healthier digital communities.

The 14th Counter Fraud, Cybercrime and Forensic Accounting conference took place on Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th June 2025. The aim of the conference was to network, share our research and insights into techniques, ideas, or approaches that help to inform fellow scholars and professionals on important debates in the field of cybercrime, economic crime and forensic accounting. This year's conference welcomed over 70 speakers from across the globe sharing their research and expertise on a range of themes including: fraud prevention and victimisation; diversity of online harms; banking, fraud and economic crime; cryptocurrency risks and responses; business and fraud; misinformation and social media; romance fraud and scammers; cyber-enabled terrorism and counter-terrorism; fraudsters and enablers; victims, cybercrime and fraud; building resilience to cybercrime and fraud; challenges in cybersecurity; cybersecurity education; and virtual assets. You can read a full report about the conference here.

The 6th Winter Economic Crime Symposium, held on 16th January 2025, brought together experts, researchers and practitioners from across the globe to address the growing threat of fraud. Eight speakers from seven countries discussed a variety of topics linked to organised and cross-border fraud. These speakers, along with hundreds of registered delegates, explored key methods of these crimes and underlying policing landscape. READ MORE...

The Symposium was supported by the Journal of Economic Criminology and the International Society of Economic Criminology. To be informed about future public lectures and other events, please subscribe to our mailing list.

Centre co-director Professor Mark Button delivered a public lecture at the University of Portsmouth on 16 October 2024, discussing the fraud epidemic, who is responsible and what can be done about it. To be informed about future public lectures and other events, please subscribe to our mailing list.

The 13th Counter Fraud, Cybercrime and Forensic Accounting Conference was held in-person at the University of Portsmouth over two days on Wednesday 12th and Thursday 13th June 2024.

This year’s conference featured keynote and plenary speakers including:

• Professor Rutger Leukfeldt (Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement and Center of Expertise Cybersecurity, Hague University of Applied Sciences)
• Oleksiy Feshchenko (former advisor to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
• Professor Durgesh Pandey (Professor of Practice, National Forensic Sciences University, India)
• Andrei Skorobogatov and Ayesha Babar (Home Office, International Fraud)
• Chris Freeman and Michael Betts (Public Sector Fraud Authority)
• Cyber Crime Unit, National Crime Agency

In addition to the above, over 30 speakers from across the globe shared their research and expertise on a range of topics including Online Harms, Victims of Fraud, Anti-Fraud Technology, Cybersecurity and Hacking, Digital Threats, Telecommunication Frauds, Beneficial Ownership, Fraud Investigation, Government Responses to Fraud, Fraud Detection, Organised and Environmental Crime, and Auditing.

The aim of the conference was to network, share our research and insights into techniques, ideas, or approaches that help to inform fellow scholars and professionals on important debates in the field of cybercrime, economic crime and forensic accounting.

In February 2024 CCEC co-hosted the 2024 Annual Terrorism and Extremism Colloquium with the European Society of Criminology Working Group on Radicalization, Extremism, and Terrorism (WG-Extreme). The colloquium included panels on ideologies in online extremist dynamics, extreme misogyny, the methodological challenges of researching online extremism, pathways and recruitment into extremism, incels, conspiracy theories and emerging technologies, ethics and reflexivity and an early career researcher symposium. The keynote speech, on Navigating the Challenges of Researching Online Extremism, was delivered by Jakob Guhl, from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. 

In February 2024 the Centre for Cybercrime and Economic Crime launched a series of online “fireside chats” – discussions between Centre co-directed Dr Vasileios Karagiannopoulos and industry leaders from the fields of cybersecurity, risk management and governance/compliance, sharing their insights regarding topical issues and associated challenges they are facing and that have a wider impact for the UK, its businesses and citizens.

For our first session we welcomed Onur Korucu (Managing Partner and Advisory Board Member of Govern ID, a WomenTech Global Ambassador and Council Member and International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) Ireland Chapter Chair) for a fascinating discussion about  digital transformation of the EU and its impact on the UK. The event was recorded and you can watch the video here. If you would like to be kept informed of the date and time of our next fireside chat, please subscribe to our mailing list.

The 5th Winter Economic Crime Symposium was held online on 18th January 2024, organised by Dr Branislav Hock, of the Economic Crime Research Group. The event featured sessions on Economic Crime in War and Exploring UK government initiatives to tackle economic crime, bringing together a diverse body of researchers, practitioners, students and other community members. The keynote speech, on Economic Crime and War Crimes, was delivered by Professor Noelle Quenivet, from the University of the West of England. 

The Symposium was supported by the Journal of Economic Criminology.

The 12th Counter Fraud, Cybercrime and Forensic Accounting Conference, which took place on 14th and 15th June 2023, was hosted for the first time by the Centre for Cybercrime and Economic Crime and was a huge success, welcoming over 300 in-person and online delegates from across the globe, with over 50 speakers sharing their research and expertise. Over 60 organisations were represented, including higher education, banking and financial services, government agencies, law enforcement, crime prevention, technology, research, insurance and loss adjusting, accounting, law and auditing. Read more…