The economy is in a tailspin, and a new generation of high-tech thieves are on the prowl. A study released today says reports of internet crime jumped 33 percent in 2008, costing victims $265 million.
Most of these crimes seem to have taken place on auction sites where either buyers or sellers got ripped off. According to AP:
The Internet Crime Complaint Center [a division of the FBI] said in its annual report released Monday that it received more than 275,000 complaints last year, up from about 207,000 the year before . . . About one in three complaints were for nonpayment or non-delivery. The other most common complaints were for auction fraud or credit and debit card fraud.
Here’s the interesting demographic moment: Men are victims of ‘net crime far more than women. According to the ICCC, “Men reported losing $1.69 for every dollar that women lost.” Of course this may just be reporting bias. Perhaps women are less eager to step forward and report internet crime.
