Over the past four years, cybercrimes have been increasing day by day
More and more citizens are falling victim to cybercrimes every day. This conclusion can also be drawn from warnings issued by media experts. Hayk Mkrtchyan, head of the Department for Combating Cybercrimes at the Main Directorate of Criminal Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, presented statistics indicating that in 2022-2023, cybercrimes surpassed the threshold of 1,000 cases and continue to rise.
A significant increase in computer thefts was observed worldwide, especially after 2020, when the pandemic shifted numerous jobs to the online domain. New technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, and their combination enable criminals to target more citizens and steal even larger amounts of money. In other words, the more technology integrates into our daily lives, the greater the likelihood that we might be targeted by criminals.
The numbers are not definitive because citizens often do not report such incidents to law enforcement, leaving the issue unresolved. Hayk Mkrtchyan mentioned that in recent years, investment fraud has reached particularly significant levels. Through advertisements, citizens are encouraged to invest in various platforms with promises of high returns.
Phishing scams have also become widespread. In these cases, citizens follow various announcements and messages sent to them via social media. These messages claim there is an issue with a product and that additional information needs to be verified. To resolve the issue, citizens enter their bank card details and become victims of attacks.
Another method spread in 2024 involves citizens receiving tasks with promises of payment upon completion. As a result, by entering their banking details in a specially sent link, they fall victim to cyberattacks.
To avoid cybercrimes, the specialist urged people to be cautious and not to provide their bank card, account, password, username, or other sensitive information to anyone.