Last year, cybercrime of all kinds caused more than $16 billion in total damage to victims around the world, according to data published on Wednesday, April 23, in a report from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The mentioned losses increased by a third compared to the figure recorded in 2023. In a report published on Wednesday, it was noted that these losses are mainly related to low-tech scams. In this case, it means, for example, would-be investors swindled out of money online. Cases also belong to the corresponding category, when employees of companies, having received deceptive emails, transferred large amounts of money to the bank accounts of criminals.
Moreover, according to the FBI, tech support and romance scams caused losses of hundreds of millions of dollars.
The information published on Wednesday was collated by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, which has become a clearinghouse for reports of digital fraud and hacking.
It is worth noting that losses from cybercrime are hard to calculate. The data from the FBI is one of the most comprehensive. At the same time, the bureau noted that its calculations were incomplete, especially with regard to ransomware. In this case, it implies a particularly destructive breed of software used by hackers to extort organizations into making ransom payments in return for their data.
The FBI collected complaints about scams from all over the world, but still, the vast majority were filed in the United States.
It is worth noting that the issue of cybersecurity has become more relevant against the background of the development of advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence. Scammers also have access to AI. Leveraging artificial intelligence has made their activities more sophisticated. One of the tools for countering this threat in the virtual space is the personal awareness of users. For example, an Internet search query such as how to know if my camera is hacked will allow anyone to get information about signs of unauthorized access to the device.
