A report released by the Internet Crime Compliant Center revealed that complainants from the United States lost over $400 million due to cybercrime in 2012. The actual amount lost by the country is most likely larger since many cases don’t end up being reported. Following the United States in amount loss by complainants are Canada, the UK, and Australia. Overall, approximately 290 000 cases were reported which was an 8.3% increase from 2011.

Frequently reported crimes cited in the report include auto fraud, FBI impersonation email scams, intimidation/extortion scams, hit man scams, and scareware/ransomware. The level of creativity and sophistication from criminals will continue to increase as a greater wealth of vulnerable users begin to use the web. Cyber-related crimes are becoming more common, particularly in developing countries such as South Africa. Reports indicate that the country lost $102.5 million annually due to cybercrime.

via ic3.gov

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