March 27th, 2024 – Data released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) shows that Illinois experienced an increase in internet crimes last year. Illinois experienced a 6% increase in victim complaints and a 20% increase in dollar loss to internet crimes alone in 2023. The top three types of internet frauds in 2023 were investment fraud, business phishing attacks and tech support scams.
“The IC3 gives the public a direct way to report internet crime to the FBI and enables us to collect data, advance investigations, and identify changes in the threat landscape. Reporting internet crime is critical to the FBI’s efforts,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge David Nanz. “The intelligence gathered through IC3 allows us to provide the public and our many partners with information, services, support, training, and leadership to stay ahead of the threat.”
The report also indicated how different age groups tend to be impacted by different crimes. Victims 30 to 49 years old were the group to report losses from investment fraud, while the elderly attributed well over half their losses to tech support scams.
The FBI recommends that the public frequently review consumer and industry alerts published by IC3. If you are the victim of an internet crime, submit a complaint to IC3. You can also file a complaint on behalf of another person.
To file a complaint, click HERE.
More details regarding the 2023 Internet Crime Report can be found HERE.
By: Traymar Brown
