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An estimated 16,910 cyber crimes were committed in Scotland last year, up from 7,710 in 2019-20.
Overall, the number of crimes recorded by the police increased from 289,362 in 2022-23 to 299,780 in 2023-24.
The report, published by the Scottish Government, highlighted that the total “remains below the immediate pre-pandemic level” in 2019-20, and was down 51% from the peak in 1991 when recorded 613,943 offences.
Crimes of non-sexual violence increased by 4%, according to the data, to 71,463 last year.
The report said that although murder and culpable homicide accounted for a “very small proportion” of violent crime, these rose by 21% between 2022-23 and 2023-24 – from 48 to 58.
There was a 1% decrease in sex crimes, falling from 14,602 to 14,484 – but the report noted that this was still the “third highest level seen since 1971”.
There was a “slight decrease of less than 1%” in cases of rape and attempted rape, falling from 2,529 in 2022-23 to 2,522 in 2023-24.
Overall, the report said that “sexual offending has increased significantly since 2010-11, despite a small decrease in the most recent year”.
However, it was noted that the reporting of historical cases of sex crimes “continues to play a role in the latest statistics”, with information from Police Scotland suggesting that almost a quarter (24%) of sex crimes reported in 2023 -24 occurred at least. a year earlier.
Meanwhile, the report estimated that the number of sexual offenses that were cybercrimes had increased from 1,100 in 2013-14 to 4,320 in 2023-24.
Cyber crime includes all cases where “cyber technology is involved in any way”, ranging from the deliberate spreading of computer viruses to traditional crimes where the internet has played a role in the crime, such as online fraud or sexual offences. .
In 2023-24, an estimated 16,910 cyber crimes were recorded by the police – an increase of around 2,000 crimes (or 14%) on the previous year.
According to the report, cyber crime levels “remain significantly higher than the pre-pandemic year 2019-20” when there were an estimated 7,710 cyber crimes.
The report said: “Part of the observed increase in reported cybercrime may be due to the significant impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and government instructions to limit social contact.
“However, the lifting of restrictions has not been accompanied by a reduction in the estimated number of cyber crimes recorded by the police since 2022-23.”
It is now estimated that 30% of sex crimes and 9% of dishonesty crimes are cyber crimes.
In 2023-24, an estimated 4,320 of the sexual offenses (30%) recorded by the police were cyber-crimes, with this up from 3,830 in 2022-23.
The report added that “the estimated number of sex crimes that were cybercrimes has steadily increased over the longer term from 1,100 in 2013-14”.
An estimated 2,080 cases of threats and extortion are cybercrimes – 14% higher than the 1,830 recorded in 2022-23 and six times more than the estimated 290 cases in 2019-20.
Here it was said that “most of these cases involve ‘sectortion’, most commonly where the offender threatens to reveal evidence of the victim’s online sexual activity unless he receives some form of financial payment” .
The statistics also show that in the year ending September 2022, police recorded 3,277 offenses against retail workers – including 15 cases of serious assault, 1,428 common assaults and 1,834 cases of threatening behavior and abusive
The Conservatives’ justice spokesman in Scotland, Russell Findlay, said there was a “shocking rise in retail crime, which is putting staff at risk, damaging business and raising prices for everyone”.
Overall, Mr Findlay said: “The sickening rise in violence on Scotland’s streets is a direct result of 17 years of SNP underfunding of policing and neglect of the wider justice system.
“Their weak justice agenda benefits criminals and betrays victims.”
Justice Secretary Angela Constance said that although there was a “slight increase in the number of crimes recorded”, the figures show: “Scotland remains a safe place to live, with crime still at a from the lowest levels since 1974, below pre-pandemic levels, and 51% below its peak in 1991.
“The Scottish Government has provided record funding of £1.55 billion for policing in 2024-25 – an increase of £92.7 million, which means that Police Scotland can increase the number of police officers to around 16,500-16,600.
“In addition, we have made more than £4 million available during this year and last year for violence prevention to help divert people from violence, with a further £19 million a year up to 2025 to support projects which tackles violence against women and girls. .”
She accepted that retail crime “can significantly disrupt businesses”, as she emphasized that Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority “are working to ensure that the necessary resources and expertise are in place to go to the tackling emerging areas of crime”.
He also said the Scottish Government was working closely with Police Scotland, the National Cyber Security Centre, the Cyber and Fraud Center and others “to tackle cyber crime, including serious offences, and to raise awareness of cyber security and how individuals and organizations can reduce their crime. risk of becoming victims”.
(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
source link https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/24410626.estimated-cyber-crime-almost-120-per-cent-four-years/?ref=rss
