FBI Official Says Cyber Crime Reports Quadrupled during COVID-19 Pandemic

Speaking in an online panel last week, FBI Deputy Assistant Director Tonya Ugoretz said the number of cyber crime reports received by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has quadrupled compared to months before the pandemic. “Whereas they might typically receive 1,000 complaints a day through their internet portal, they’re now receiving something like 3,000 – 4,000 complaints a day. Not all of those are COVID-related, but a good number of those are,” said Ugoretz. She also described the kinds of activity that have been reported to the IC3. “They really run the gamut. Everything from setting up fraudulent internet domains…we’ve seen people set up fraudulent COVID charities, promise delivery of masks and other equipment, and then deliver fraudulent loans, extortion, etc. So pretty much, sadly, anything you can think of. Cyber-criminals are quite creative,” she explained. Ugoretz also commented on attacks carried out by foreign countries, although the most significant of these appear to have targeted the healthcare sector and the U.S.’s COVID-19 research capabilities. Read the article at ZDNet.