Reports of cybercrimes in Portugal doubled last year, reaching 1160 - more than double the previous year, according to figures released by the Cybercrime Office of the Attorney General's Office (PGR).
According to the Cybercrime Office, these complaints, received by email, have increased in recent years, but since 2019, year on year, complaints have more than doubled the number of the previous year.
In 2021, the increase was “even more expressive” than it had been in 2020, with 1160 complaints received, against 544 in 2020. In 2019 there were just 193.
Of the complaints received last year, 195 progressed to the opening of an investigation and 25 referred to the Judiciary Police.
In the report, the PGR’s Cybercrime Office explains that many of the complaints received “do not meet sufficient elements or conditions for the formal opening of an investigation”, giving as an example those that report attempted crimes, or regarding individuals, or even crimes semi-public in nature.
“Without formal filing of a complaint by the holder of the right to file a complaint, many of these complaints do not meet procedural conditions so that an investigation can only be opened based on them”, says the office, noting that there is always a legal possibility to file a complaint, formally, in the normal way.
Complaints submitted anonymously, or by people who do not identify themselves, and which describe “very vague or generic facts”, are also not forwarded for investigation. In this case, they are forwarded to the Judiciary Police.
According to the Cybercrime Office, the analysis of the data shows that, as had already happened in 2020, in the periods of confinement resulting from the pandemic last year, “the number of reports have increased extraordinarily”.
“In 2020, there had been a very significant increase in complaints received between March and May, months during which the mandatory confinement of citizens to their homes was imposed. Then, in 2021, the same happened, in particular in February, when a new mandatory confinement took effect”, says the report.
However, “it cannot be concluded that this increase in cybercrime is only associated with the pandemic, although the pandemic may have driven the increase in this type of crime. This growing trend appears to be constant and consistent”.
One of the criminal phenomena that continued to motivate “a large number of complaints” last year was 'phishing': “Phishing campaigns specifically targeted at victims in Portugal (Portuguese banks) continue to multiply”. Similarly, a form of 'phishing' aimed at illicitly obtaining credit card data, "evolved throughout 2021."
“Gradually, this type of criminal practice began to target credit card data more intensively, thus becoming the most frequent form of 'phishing,'” the report says.
The document also mentions that campaigns were also identified in which the the victim was informed they would be reimbursed amounts (by the Tax Authority or by EDP – Energias de Portugal, among others), and another in which the payment of a “small fee” was required to have a package addressed to the victim delivered. Throughout 2021, this particular "delivery fee" phenomenon registered a huge expansion, becoming the most reported. It gave rise to 167 complaints, corresponding to 14.39% of the total of 1,160 complaints received.
Scams in 'online' purchases have also expanded, becoming one of the most frequent cybercrime phenomena. Scams with sales on social networks (namely on Facebook and Instagram) were also identified. All of these specific situations involved small amounts, rarely exceeding tens of euros.
This type of crime had a “great and progressive expansion throughout the year” and says that the participations corresponded to 21% of the complaints sent for the opening of an investigation.
During the second half of 2021, a significant number of complaints were received of “fake” pages on the Internet, which intend to imitate legitimate pages of different brands of clothing, footwear, sports equipment, among others, with the purpose of convincing victims to buy and pay for goods that the victim later never receives.
During the past year, 28 of the 45 complaints received in this regard were referred to the Lisbon Department of Investigation and Criminal Action, for the opening of an investigation.
“This was the second highest set of complaints sent for investigation, only surpassed by the online scams”.
Source Lusa
