The FBI’s recently released 2020 Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) annual report, the top three crimes reported by victims in last year were phishing scams, non-payment/non-delivery scams, and extortion.
Authorities indicated the report stems from 791,790 complaints of suspected internet crime, reflective of a rise of more than 300,000 complaints from 2019, in addition to reported losses of over $4.2 billion.
According to the analysis, victims lost the most money to business email compromise scams, romance and confidence schemes, and investment fraud. Additionally, 2020 brought the emergence of scams exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic. The IC3 received over 28,500 pandemic-related complaints, with officials indicating fraudsters targeted businesses and individuals.
The report also features information regarding the most prevalent internet scams impacting the public while also offering guidance for prevention and protection. It also highlights the agency’s work combating internet crime and explains the IC3, its mission, and functions.
The FBI indicated it seeks to remind the public to immediately report suspected criminal internet activity to the IC3 at ic3.gov. – adding by reporting internet crime, victims are not only alerting law enforcement to the activity but aiding in the overall fight against cybercrime.