Fergie's Tech Blog

UK: A Crime is Committed Online Once Every 10 Seconds

Via OUT-LAW.com.

More than three million online crimes were carried out last year, according to estimates published today. These included more than 200,000 cases of financial fraud, twice the official number of real-world robberies carried out during the same period.

The report was written by criminology firm 1871 Ltd and commissioned by online identity firm Garlik. It suggests that 60% of the online crimes committed last year, an estimated 1.9 million incidents, were ‘offences against the person’ including abusive or threatening emails, false or offensive accusations posted on websites and blackmail perpetrated over the internet.

Online identity theft reached more than 90,000 incidents, unauthorised access to someone’s PC with ulterior intent reached 144,500 and online sexual offences 850,000, claimed the report.

According to the report, 90% of cybercrimes go unreported with victims deterred from coming forward as they wrongly believe the activity is not criminal or that the police will be unable or unwilling to investigate.

posted by Fergie @ 9/06/2007 03:49:00 PM