Cybercrime Helpline of the City of Vienna - Observatory of Public Sector Innovation

Digital attacks such as online fraud, data misuse, phishing and cyberbullying are on the rise. Many victims do not know where to turn. The "Cybercrime Helpline", a call center service by the City of Vienna, offers fast and uncomplicated support. Existing services were integrated into rapid iteration cycles, organizational interfaces were created and the working method was established. The extension of the successful service by a highly topical subject area underlines the innovative approach.

Innovation Summary

Innovation Overview

Our lives increasingly revolve around the Internet, with laptops, smartphones, and tablets becoming essential. Cybercrime has surged, evident in Austria's 30% rise in cybercriminal acts in 2021, with fraud causing significant financial harm to individuals and businesses. Phishing and fraudulent websites are becoming more sophisticated, posing challenges even for experienced users, let alone those with limited digital skills. Awareness of available support, like professional counseling organizations, remains lacking.

Vienna addresses this issue with the Cybercrime Helpline, the first point of contact for advice on online fraud, extortion, data protection, and misuse. Initiated by Jörg Neumayer and supported by Innovation City Councillor Ulli Sima, the helpline offers emotional support alongside factual advice. With a focus on providing free, fast, and unbureaucratic assistance, the helpline aims to make affected individuals feel heard and directs them to relevant organizations for further guidance.

With a €12,000 investment and 1.5 years of development, the Cybercrime Helpline ensures quality through collaboration with expert organizations. Vienna's commitment extends to promoting risk awareness and digital literacy among residents. The project was executed by UIV Urban Innovation Vienna GmbH on behalf of and in cooperation with the Executive Group for Organisation and Security of the City of Vienna, Department Process management and ICT strategy. Stadtservice Wien (City Service), handling implementation, emphasizes training employees in easy-to-understand language, conflict management, and handling difficult situations.

The helpline, as part of Vienna's commitment to a safe online environment, demonstrates the city's dedication to its residents' well-being. The ongoing exchange with expert organizations and continuous improvement through feedback mechanisms ensure the helpline stays effective in tackling evolving cyber threats. The project's success lies in its comprehensive approach, combining emotional support, practical advice, and ongoing education to support Vienna's citizens in the digital age.

Innovation Description

What Makes Your Project Innovative?

The Cybercrime Helpline in Vienna is an innovative extension of the city's successful call center service (Stadtservice / City Service) infrastructure. It addresses cybercrime in a unique way by integrating methods from NGOs, General City Information and the 24-Stunden Frauennotruf (Women's Emergency Hotline) in rapid iteration cycles. Evaluation cycles have refined its approach and quality, involving external cybersecurity experts.

For more than five years, the city's call center has efficiently managed a wide variety of citizen requests. By integrating the Cybercrime Helpline, this established infrastructure adapts to today's challenges, ensuring a seamless transition to a vital service. Collaboration with external experts optimizes resource allocation. The Helpline handles cases that require initial consultation, freeing up specialized centers to focus on more intensive cases.

What is the current status of your innovation?

Since its launch on October 27, 2022, the Cybercrime Helpline has already been contacted up to five times a day until April 2023. A regular exchange with the consulting NGOs is intended to ensure knowledge transfer and quality assurance. To this end, a quality assurance circle meets every 6 months to review the cases reported and the development in order to initiate adjustments if necessary.

Innovation Development

Collaborations & Partnerships

The project management cooperated with various experts in the field of cybersecurity as well as with the counseling centers that the hotline staff refers in real operation: Internet Ombudsman, Consumer Protection of the Chamber of Labor, 147 - Helpline for Children and Young People, ZARA - Civil Courage and Anti-Racism Work, Vienna's 24-hour Women's Emergency Hotline. The helpline was set up with experts from external counseling centers, who are consulted in the course of its operation.

Users, Stakeholders & Beneficiaries

In addition to the citizens who call the hotline, the hotline's employees, who act as multipliers in their private environment, benefit from the awareness-raising and the well-founded knowledge about the dangers of the Internet. The City of Vienna can also use the collected (anonymous) information about current cases or forward it to the relevant authorities.

Innovation Reflections

Results, Outcomes & Impacts

Since its launch on 27 October 2022, the Cybercrime Helpline has already been contacted up to five times a day until April 2023. Since then, the helpline has been contacted 5 to 10 times a day, for a total of about 800 calls. Each call lasts around 10 to 15 minutes. Most of the concerns (51%) relate to internet fraud (e.g. phishing, dubious online shops, cryptocurrency). The callers thanked the employees for their support and found the helpline very helpful.

Challenges and Failures

Before the helpline was launched, there was some concern that it would be difficult to communicate the content of the helpline. For example, that the hotline would be called for hardware problems such as a broken printer. However, this has not happened. Another challenge is the continuous promotion of the Cybercrime Helpline and especially the outreach to non-digital natives. This challenge was recognized after the launch and has been and is being countered with targeted advertising in senior citizens' clubs, youth centers, public libraries, etc. using postcards and posters.

Conditions for Success

The Cybercrime Helpline was added to the existing call center of the Stadtservice (Vienna City Service). 15 employees with an affinity or interest in the topic were trained and are now answering the calls of the helpline. The continuation of the helpline is thus ensured, as it is based on an existing and successful structure.

The service is also available via live chat and the WienBot (AI-based chatbot of the City of Vienna) provides information about the Cybercrime Helpline.

Replication

A Cybercrime Hotline as a first point of contact can also be operated by other states and municipalities that offer a call center. In this case, the City of Vienna can provide the call guidelines and the knowledge management behind them. During implementation, appropriate external communication is necessary to make the service known to the general public.
As an alternative to a hotline, the first point of contact could be online (via chat or e-mail); again, sufficient staff would need to be available.

Lessons Learned

Advertising the helpline is central to its use. It has been observed that the helpline is used especially when there is media attention. In addition, sufficient budget for communication should be included for the permanent advertising of the helpline.