UK nears US in cyber-crime, ahead of Nigeria, Romania
{{date|April 10, 2008}}
[[Image:2007 Internet Crime Report.PNG|thumb|left|Cover of ''2007 Internet Crime Report'' {{Image source|[http://www.ic3.gov/media/annualreports.aspx Internet Crime Complaint Center]}}]]
{{Infobox Internet}}The [[United Kingdom]] is listed second in a report on global [[w:Cyber-crime|cyber-crime]] statistics, behind the [[United States]] and ahead of cyber-crime "hotspots" [[Nigeria]] and [[Romania]]. The ''2007 Internet Crime Report'' was released in April by the [[w:Internet Crime Complaint Center|Internet Crime Complaint Center]] (IC3), a joint operation between the [[w:Federal Bureau of Investigation|Federal Bureau of Investigation]] and the [[w:National White Collar Crime Center|National White Collar Crime Center]]. 

Americans reported losses of [[w:USD|US$]]240 million from global cyber-crime in 2007, a $40 million increase from 2006. The Internet Crime Complaint Center received 206,884 complaints of online fraud in 2007, a decrease from the previous year's 207,492 complaints. 

FBI special agent John Hambrick, in charge of the IC3 unit, told the ''[[w:Agence France-Presse|Agence France-Presse]]'' "We're seeing more schemes involving bigger ticket items, get-rich-quick and work-at-home schemes that involve higher dollar losses". As the report only includes figures from crimes reported to law enforcement, it is likely that real crime numbers were higher.

{{QuoteRight|We're seeing more schemes involving bigger ticket items, get-rich-quick and work-at-home schemes that involve higher dollar losses.|4=John Hambrick, [[w:Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] special agent}}
FBI Cyber Division Assistant Director James E. Finch commented on the report: "The Internet presents a wealth of opportunity for would be criminals to prey on unsuspecting victims, and this report shows how extensive these types of crime have become ... What this report does not show is how often this type of activity goes unreported. Filing a complaint through IC3 is the best way to alert law enforcement authorities of Internet crime."

In response to the report's release, the [[w:information technology|information technology]] consultancy [[w:Global Secure Systems|Global Secure Systems]] (GSS) warned that the United Kingdom is becoming a hotbed of internet crime. According to the report, the UK accounts for 15.3 per cent of online crime from US crime reports. "This is significantly ahead of other cyber-crime hotspots such as Nigeria (5.7 per cent) and Romania (1.5 per cent)," said David Hobson, managing director of GSS, in an interview with ''vnunet.com''.

{{QuoteLeft|The scammer tries to prey on victims who are kind of in tune with what's going on in the world. The scam changes, but ultimately they're preying on the good will of people.|4=Cathy Milhoan, [[w:Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] spokeswoman}}
The ''2007 Internet Crime Report'' cites the top ten countries by amount of perpetrators of online crime. In descending order, the top ten list includes the United States, the United Kingdom, Nigeria, [[Canada]], Romania, [[Italy]], [[Spain]], [[South Africa]], [[Russia]], and [[Ghana]]. Scammers living within the United States most often lived in [[California]], [[Florida]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], [[Illinois]], [[New York]], [[Pennsylvania]], and [[Texas]]. Men lost more money to online fraud than women in 2007, and also accounted for 75 percent of cyber-crime perpetrators.

FBI spokeswoman Cathy Milhoan told ''CIO Today'' that online scammers attempt to take advantage of the good will of individuals, asking for money for purported charities during crises. "The scammer tries to prey on victims who are kind of in tune with what's going on in the world. The scam changes, but ultimately they're preying on the good will of people," said Milhoan.

The most widely reported complaint was Internet auction fraud at 35.7 per cent of referred crime complaints. Other online criminal activities cited in the report include non-delivery of purchases and credit/debit card fraud, computer intrusions, spam/unsolicited e-mail, and child pornography. The report also seeks to raise awareness of other types of cyber-crimes, and describes steps individuals can take both to prevent internet crime, and to report it if they have been victimized.

{{haveyoursay}}
== Sources ==
{{original}}
{{Wikipediapars|[[w:Advance fee fraud|Advance fee fraud]] and [[w:Computer crime|Computer crime]]}}
*{{source|url=http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39382596,00.htm|title=UK a hotbed of cybercriminal activity|author=Nick Heath|pub=ZDNet UK|date=April 9, 2008}}
*{{source|url=http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2213900/uk-catching-cyber-crime-tables|title=UK catching the US in the cyber-crime tables: UK becoming a hotbed of online crime, warns GSS|author=Ian Williams|pub=vnunet.com|date=April 9, 2008}}
*{{source|url=http://www.dailytech.com/239M+USD+Lost+to+Internet+Fraud+in+2007/article11402c.htm|title=$239M USD Lost to Internet Fraud in 2007|author=Tom Corelis|pub=DailyTech|date=April 8, 2008}}
*{{source|url=http://directmag.com/legal/online/reported_online_fraud_0408/|title=Reported Online Fraud Losses Soar; E-mail Tops Tactics: FBI|author=Ken Magill|pub=Direct|date=April 8, 2008}}
*{{source|url=http://www.cio-today.com/news/Losses-Rise-in-Online-Scams/story.xhtml?story_id=013000G4Y3ZA|title=Losses Rise in Internet-Related Scams|author=Christine Simmons  |pub=CIO Today|date=April 7, 2008}}
*{{source|url=http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y08/m04/i07/s02|title=Reported Dollar Loss from Internet Crime Reaches All Time High|author=Ina Steiner|pub=AuctionBytes.com|date=April 7, 2008}}
*{{source|url=http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hu0UTTzr0IgRovnd1YrQQW8YriCw|title=US consumers lose record sums to Internet crooks: FBI report|author=|pub=Agence France-Presse|date=April 7, 2008}}
*{{source|url=http://news.portalit.net/fullnews_cybercrime-losses-in-the-us-240-million_1035.html|title=Cybercrime Losses In The US: $240 Million|author=|pub=Portal IT|date=April 7, 2008}}
*{{source|url=http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/security/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=207001919|title=Internet Fraud Loss For 2007 Tops $239 Million|author=Thomas Claburn|pub=InformationWeek|date=April 4, 2008}}
*{{source|url=http://www.news.com/8301-10789_3-9910844-57.html?tag=nefd.only|title=Report: Losses due to Internet crime rose in '07|author=Robert Vamosi|pub=CNET News|date=April 3, 2008}}
*{{source|url=http://www.ic3.gov/media/2008/080403.htm|title=Reported Dollar Loss From Internet Crime Reaches All Time High|author=[[w:Internet Crime Complaint Center|Internet Crime Complaint Center]]|pub=Federal Bureau of Investigation|date=April 3, 2008}}
*{{source|url=http://www.ic3.gov/media/annualreports.aspx|title=2007 Internet Crime Report|author=[[w:Internet Crime Complaint Center|Internet Crime Complaint Center]]|pub=Federal Bureau of Investigation|date=April 2008}}

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[[Category:World]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:Africa]]
[[Category:Canada]]
[[Category:Ghana]]
[[Category:Italy]]
[[Category:Nigeria]]
[[Category:Romania]]
[[Category:Russia]]
[[Category:South Africa]]
[[Category:Spain]]
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:California]]
[[Category:Florida]]
[[Category:Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Illinois]]
[[Category:New York]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Texas]]
[[Category:Crime and law]]
[[Category:Internet]]
[[Category:Child pornography]]
Cover of 2007 Internet Crime Report 
The United Kingdom is listed second in a report on global cyber-crime statistics, behind the United States and ahead of cyber-crime "hotspots" Nigeria and Romania. The 2007 Internet Crime Report was released in April by the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), a joint operation between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National White Collar Crime Center. 

Americans reported losses of US$240 million from global cyber-crime in 2007, a $40 million increase from 2006. The Internet Crime Complaint Center received 206,884 complaints of online fraud in 2007, a decrease from the previous year's 207,492 complaints. 

FBI special agent John Hambrick, in charge of the IC3 unit, told the Agence France-Presse "We're seeing more schemes involving bigger ticket items, get-rich-quick and work-at-home schemes that involve higher dollar losses". As the report only includes figures from crimes reported to law enforcement, it is likely that real crime numbers were higher.


FBI Cyber Division Assistant Director James E. Finch commented on the report: "The Internet presents a wealth of opportunity for would be criminals to prey on unsuspecting victims, and this report shows how extensive these types of crime have become ... What this report does not show is how often this type of activity goes unreported. Filing a complaint through IC3 is the best way to alert law enforcement authorities of Internet crime."

In response to the report's release, the information technology consultancy Global Secure Systems (GSS) warned that the United Kingdom is becoming a hotbed of internet crime. According to the report, the UK accounts for 15.3 per cent of online crime from US crime reports. "This is significantly ahead of other cyber-crime hotspots such as Nigeria (5.7 per cent) and Romania (1.5 per cent)," said David Hobson, managing director of GSS, in an interview with vnunet.com.


The 2007 Internet Crime Report cites the top ten countries by amount of perpetrators of online crime. In descending order, the top ten list includes the United States, the United Kingdom, Nigeria, Canada, Romania, Italy, Spain, South Africa, Russia, and Ghana. Scammers living within the United States most often lived in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Men lost more money to online fraud than women in 2007, and also accounted for 75 percent of cyber-crime perpetrators.

FBI spokeswoman Cathy Milhoan told CIO Today that online scammers attempt to take advantage of the good will of individuals, asking for money for purported charities during crises. "The scammer tries to prey on victims who are kind of in tune with what's going on in the world. The scam changes, but ultimately they're preying on the good will of people," said Milhoan.

The most widely reported complaint was Internet auction fraud at 35.7 per cent of referred crime complaints. Other online criminal activities cited in the report include non-delivery of purchases and credit/debit card fraud, computer intrusions, spam/unsolicited e-mail, and child pornography. The report also seeks to raise awareness of other types of cyber-crimes, and describes steps individuals can take both to prevent internet crime, and to report it if they have been victimized.
World Europe Africa Canada Ghana Italy Nigeria Romania Russia South Africa Spain United States California Florida Georgia (U.S. state) Illinois New York Pennsylvania Texas Crime and law Internet Child pornography