Interpol has released its first ever Global Crime Trend report, listing cyber-related crimes such as ransomware, phishing, and money laundering as the biggest threat to society today. The study was created based on data received from 195 member countries. In addition, Interpol used information and analysis from external sources to compile the report. Money laundering was listed as the number one threat, and 65% of the member countries responded that it was a high or very high risk to their countries. Ransomware was ranked second at 66%, however, it was the crime type that respondents expected to increase in the next few years.
Interpol found that of the nine top crimes identified in the report, six of them are cyber-enabled. Interpol has warned that the pandemic created new underground and dark web offerings such as financial crimes as a service, digital money laundering, and more. Interpol also found that child sexual exploitation content increased during the pandemic, and many of the respondents fear it will continue to increase in the coming years. Before the pandemic, drug trafficking frequently made the top of the list when it came to police concerns. Therefore, the new data suggests a shift towards cyber-enabled crimes.
