FBI: Cyberfraud losses doubled in 2009

[IDG] Last year was a tough one for most businesses, but for cybercriminals it was one of the best yet.According to data released Friday by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), victims reported total losses of US$559.7 million in 2009, more than double the tally for 2008.The most frequently reported scam was one that used the FBI’s own name to try and trick victims into handing over cash or sensitive information. One such scam involved an e-mail claiming to be from FBI Deputy Director John Pistole. Here the scammers tried to trick people into paying bogus fees in order to receive an even larger sum of money, a payout that never arrives.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9170258/FBI_Cyberfraud_losses_doubled_in_2009
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/031310-fbi-cyberfraud-losses-doubled-in.html
http://www.pcworld.com/article/191465/.htmlCybercrime surge pushes 2009 losses to 559 million US dollars
Losses from cybercrime and online scams more than doubled in 2009 to 559 million US dollars as Internet criminals used more sophisticated techniques, an FBI-led task force said Friday.The report from the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), said losses in the United States linked to online fraud shot up 110 percent from 265 million in 2008, when losses were up just 11 percent.
news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/cybercrime-surge-pushes-2009-losses-to-559-million-us-dollars-20100313-q4lk.html
news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/internet-fraud-losses-doubled-last-year-20100313-q4kq.htmlInternet fraud losses doubled last year [AP]
The cost of internet fraud doubled in 2009 to about $560 million, the FBI says.The most common type of frauds reported were scams from people falsely claiming to be from the FBI.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10631816IC3 2009 Annual Report on Internet Crime Released [news release]
The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), released the 2009 Annual Report about fraudulent activity on the Internet today.Online crime complaints increased substantially once again last year, according to the report. The IC3 received a total of 336,655 complaints, a 22.3 percent increase from 2008. The total loss linked to online fraud was $559.7 million; this is up from $265 million in 2008.Year – Complaints Received – Dollar Loss
2009 – 336,655 – $559.7 million
2008 – 275,284 – $265 million
2007 – 206,884 – $239.09 million
2006 – 207,492 – $198.44 million
2005 – 231,493 – $183.12 millionAlthough the complaints consisted of a variety of fraud types, advanced fee scams that fraudulently used the FBI’s name ranked number one (16.6 percent). Non-delivery of merchandise and/or payment was the second most reported offense (11.9 percent).The 2009 Annual Report details information related to the volume and scope of complaints, complainant and perpetrator characteristics, geographical data, most frequently reported scams and results of IC3 referrals.””Law enforcement relies on the corporate sector and citizens to report when they encounter on-line suspicious activity so these schemes can be investigated and criminals can be arrested,”” stated Peter Trahon, Section Chief of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “”Computer users are encouraged to have up-to-date security protection on their devices and evaluate email solicitations they receive with a healthy skepticism — if something seems too good to be true, it likely is.””NW3C Director Donald Brackman said the report’s findings underscore the threat posed by cyber criminals. “”The figures contained in this report indicate that criminals are continuing to take full advantage of the anonymity afforded them by the Internet. They are also developing increasingly sophisticated means of defrauding unsuspecting consumers. Internet crime is evolving in ways we couldn’t have imagined just five years ago.”” But Brackman sounded an optimistic tone about the future. “”With the public’s continued support, law enforcement will be better able to track down these perpetrators and bring them to justice.””The report is posted in its entirety on the IC3 website at www.ic3.gov/media/annualreports.aspxAbout IC3The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is a joint operation between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C). IC3 receives, develops, and refers criminal complaints regarding the rapidly expanding arena of cyber crime. The IC3 gives the victims of cyber crime a convenient and easy-to-use reporting mechanism utilized to alert authorities of suspected criminal or civil violations. For law enforcement and regulatory agencies at the federal, state, local and international level, the IC3 provides a central referral mechanism for complaints involving Internet-related crimes.
http://www.ic3.gov/media/2010/100312.aspx