Incident Description
A 7 year old boy with an autism diagnosis has breached his parents’ online banking account.
He has multiple Facebook accounts. He has also hacked into his parents’ company email and emailed clients. He takes videos of his sister and uploads them.
Technology is his only motivator. He has hacked into his mum’s phone (who is a teaching assistant at the same school and he has rang and text school staff from his mum’s phone.
Guidance for Safeguarding Response
- Weekly 1:1 sessions around cyber and online security were arranged but the child refused to engage
- Disability team within Children’s Social Care were already supporting the family
- Advice sought from Local Authority SEN support services
- School sought support from NCA (National Crime Agency) and their Cyber Choices programme https://nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/cyber-choices
- Even though the child was not the age of criminal responsibility they directed the DSL to their under 12 years booklet https://nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/who-we-are/publications/520-cyber-choices-hacking-it-legal-under-12s/file
Agencies Involved in this Incident
Sought advice from police and NCA about age appropriate support.