COLUMBUS, Ohio –
Cybercrime is still a growing problem, mostly because your computer likely has everything that fraudsters would like to steal. Your bank information, family photos, and other private documents and data. That’s why tech support fraud has become a significant trend in cybercrime, according to the 2016 Internet Crime Report from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
In tech support fraud cases, cyber criminals convince their unsuspecting victims to provide remote access to their computer by calling and posing as tech support personnel from a legitimate company. The criminal then commonly charges the victim’s credit card for fake services or products. In more sinister situations, the cyber criminal can steal personal information from the victim’s computer, or install malware to steal personal information in the future.
More than 10,000 incidents of tech support fraud were reported to IC3 in 2016, with a reported loss of nearly $8 million. While anyone can be a victim, older computer users are the most vulnerable targets. In addition to tech support fraud cases, the IC3 receives complaints on a variety of internet scams and crimes. Since its creation in 2000, the IC3 has received more than 3.7 million complaints, with a reported loss in excess of $1.3 billion.
The IC3 uses the information from public complaints to refer cases to the appropriate law enforcement agencies, and identify trends. Internet users are encouraged to report any internet fraud to the IC3, no matter the dollar amount involved. The IC3’s extensive database is also available to other law enforcement agencies. Additional data provided by internet users helps the FBI and law enforcement gain a more accurate picture of internet crime.
The IC3 publishes the Internet Crime Report annually to increase public awareness of current trends in internet crime. You can find a state-by-state breakdown of the report at this link. You can use the dropdown menu at the top to select the state you wish to view. The top states for reported dollar amounts lost in internet fraud in 2016 were California ($255 million), New York ($106 million), and Florida ($89 million). A PDF of the full report can be found at this link.
Although internet crime remains a serious threat, there are ways to help keep yourself safe online. The IC3 recommends computer users update their anti-virus software and operating system. As inconvenient as it may be, use the strongest passwords you can, and don’t use the same one for multiple sites. As always, the old adage, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” applies to the internet. You can visit the IC3 website to file a complaint or for more information at this link.