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Europol: Increasing cybercrime and AI usage

by AI | 23.Jul 2024 | Europe in brief AI

Organized crime on the internet is increasing, including cyberattacks and the sexual exploitation of children. Perpetrators are increasingly using artificial intelligence.

Headquarters of Europol, the law enforcement agency of the European Union. Photo: Jerry Lampen/ANP/dpa

The Hague – Cyberattacks, child sexual exploitation, and financial fraud are, according to an analysis, the most threatening crimes on the internet in the European Union. Millions of citizens in the EU are daily victims of organized crime online, according to the analysis by the European police agency in The Hague. Fraud and the number of primarily young offenders are increasing, Europol experts note.

According to the report, small and medium-sized businesses are increasingly targeted by cybercriminals. Their digital security measures are less robust. Numerous people also fall victim to phishing attacks, so-called romance scams (dating or love fraud), or are swindled by webshops. The increase in online child sexual abuse is also concerning, according to Europol.

More Artificial Intelligence, Sale of Templates for Fraud

The increase in artificial intelligence is also alarming. “Artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming part of criminals’ toolkit,” the report states. This has led to increasingly sophisticated extortion methods.

Gangs are selling templates online for fraud, sexual exploitation, or phishing emails. Scripts for dialogues with minors help sexual offenders “refine their grooming techniques.”

So-called deepfakes – deceptively real forgeries of image and sound – are also widely used, according to the analysis. Voices are copied for so-called shock calls to relatives or friends to extort money or bank details. AI is being used to manipulate videos or images depicting child sexual abuse. (July 22)