Every day that passes, it becomes more common to meet someone who has been a victim of a digital scam. Data from the 2023 Brazilian Public Security Yearbook confirm the increase in this type of fraud. To give an idea, last year there were 208 virtual scams per hour, totaling 1,819,409 frauds, indicating a growth of 326.3% since 2018. The document also reports that 999,223 cell phones were stolen or robbed, representing a 16.6% increase compared to 2021, and 200,322 electronic fraud records.
"This shows that the information provided about prevention is not effective. No matter how much advice and precautions are discussed online, people still do not pay attention to what they receive, click on, and purchase without prior consultation, and this needs to change. Previously, the increase was in physical thefts and robberies, armed assaults inside banking institutions; today, of course, the transfer of physical and patrimonial violence to virtual violence is evident, where the criminal exposes himself much less," analyzes Francisco Gomes Junior, a lawyer specializing in digital law and president of ADDP (Association for the Defense of Personal Data and Consumers).
It is worth noting that the number reported in the annual report is lower than the number of scams carried out, since about 35% to 40% of the people who are harmed do not report the fraud. "It is necessary to file a police report to notify the police authority and request the appropriate investigation," points out the specialist.
Cybercrimes are gaining new 'clothing' every day, indicating that there is a profitable 'market' for the criminals who are not being fought. The fraudster does not have access to the data or the cell phone/computer, so it is some action by the victim that allows this access, many of them following the theft/robbery of the cell phone with subsequent access to the victim's banking data and account access through fraud (either via phone call or malicious link).
“Scams are becoming more sophisticated. Many of them now involve repeated contact, that is, the victim starts communicating with the scammer via an app. The conversations take place over a period of days and the victim gradually gains trust, becoming vulnerable to the fraudster. Once trust is established, the scam occurs, through a request for a loan for some emergency (such as a family illness) or even the promise of an investment. To gain this trust, the scammer has to know how to talk to and analyze the victim to identify their vulnerabilities,” adds Gomes Júnior.
CUTTING
In addition to virtual scams, another noteworthy fact in the 2023 Brazilian Public Security Yearbook is violence against women. Last year, the highest number of rapes in history was recorded, with 74,930 victims, representing an 8.2% increase compared to 2021. Of this total, 56,820 were assaults on vulnerable individuals, that is, children up to 13 years old. "Despite all the speeches made year after year, women's lives in Brazilian society are increasingly compromised, dangerous, and violent," the lawyer states.
