[Statista] The Internet Crime Business is Booming

 

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CYBERSPACE

The Internet Crime Business is Booming

by Martin Armstrong, May 16, 2022

 

The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has released its 2021 Internet Crime Report which found that 2021 was another record year for both victims of internet crime and dollar losses in the United States. 847,376 complaints were logged by IC3 in the last calendar year with total losses amounting to $6.9 billion. The most frequent internet crimes recorded in 2021 were some form of Phishing/Vishing/Smishing/Pharming. Business Email Compromise and Email Compromise schemes (BEC/EAC) and were the costliest internet crimes last year with adjusted losses of nearly $2.4 billion.

2020 was notable for the emergence of schemes exploiting the Covid-19 pandemic with both individuals and businesses targeted. Some 28,500 complaints were received relating to Covid-19 scams that year with most of them aimed at the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). In 2021, the pandemic is still being taken advantage of, as IC3 reports: "The pandemic and the restrictions on in-person meetings led to increases in telework or virtual communication practices...IC3 has observed an emergence of newer BEC/EAC schemes that exploit this reliance on virtual meetings to instruct victims to send fraudulent wire transfers."

DESCRIPTION This chart shows financial losses suffered by victims of internet crimes reported to the FBI.

 

References: Statista

https://www.statista.com/chart/20845/financial-losses-suffered-by-victims-of-internet-crimes/

Key Points

• FBI 인터넷범죄신고센터(IC3)의 2021년 인터넷 범죄 보고서에 따르면 2021년은 인터넷 범죄 피해자와 손실액 측면에서 기록적인 해였음
• 2021년 847,376건의 신고를 접수하였으며, 총 손실액은 69억 달러 수준으로 추정
• 2021년 가장 빈번한 범죄는 일종의 피싱/비싱/스미싱/파밍이었고, 비즈니스 이메일 침해 및 이메일 침해 계획(BEC/EAC)는 24억 달러의 손실을 일으키며 가장 비용 규모가 큰 범죄로 나타났음
• 2020년에는 COVID19 대유행을 악용하는 다양한 인터넷 범죄가 발생하기도 하였음

Infographic: The Internet Crime Business is Booming