65,864 in 2023

9.4 percent more reports of cybercrime

Fraud offences make up the lion's share of reports.

(Bild: Yingyaipumi - stock.adobe.com)

The police in Austria registered a 9.4 percent increase in cybercrime reports last year. With 65,864 cases in 2023, the upward trend in cybercrime is continuing, as Andreas Holzer, Director of the Federal Criminal Police Office, and Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) emphasized at the presentation of the cybercrime situation report. Fraud offenses make up the lion's share of reports.

Holzer referred to a new high of 34,069 reported cases and an increase of 23.3 percent compared to 2022 in the area of fraud. The police include fraudulent calls or investment offers, false promises of winnings, love scams, phishing attacks and fraudulent activities in online trading. In addition to individual perpetrators, organized groups of offenders dominated the past year, according to the report. A problematic phenomenon continues to be scams based on the motto "fake police officers". In 2023 alone, a total of 20 million euros in damage was caused by this, explained the senior official.

"Ultimately, the digital transformation has also affected the criminal world," summarized Holzer at the press conference. "Criminals have adapted and are working under the motto: minimum effort - maximum success." There is a digital component to almost every investigation. "We're talking about over 90 percent here," says Holzer.

Extortion and ransomware
Extortion via the internet also increased, with 3891 cases reported in 2023. Infection with ransomware also remains a threat, usually accompanied by demands for money in cryptocurrencies.

Crimes involving attacks on data or computer systems using information and communication technology (cybercrime in the narrower sense), such as hacker or DDoS attacks, recorded a decline of 6.4 percent last year. However, Holzer put this figure into perspective and referred to a ruling by the Supreme Court in 2023. Since then, withdrawing money from an ATM with a previously stolen card has no longer been classified as "fraudulent misuse of data processing" and thus as cybercrime in the narrower sense, but as burglary. "You shouldn't be fooled by this," says Holzer. "Cybercrime as a whole is on the rise." The police make an internal distinction between cybercrime in the narrower and broader sense, where information and communication technology is used as a means of planning, preparing and executing conventional crimes such as fraud, drug trafficking or cybergrooming and cyberbullying.

Clear-uprate down slightly
Last year, the clear-up rate was 31.6%, slightly lower than in 2022 (33.9%). "We are determined to improve here," said Interior Minister Karner. In this context, he once again mentioned the creation of the Criminal Assistance Departments (KAD) in the regions provided for in the latest criminal service reform. "The first 20 of these will start work in June," said the Minister. Karner also referred to the Federal Criminal Police Office's Cybercrime Competence Center (C4), which currently has over 100 specialized employees and is expected to have a staff of 120 when completed. The police also want to continue to push prevention. In this context, Karner mentioned cooperation with the Federation of Austrian Industries and the Chamber of Commerce, the "Together for Security" project and the exchange with the three Austrian cyber trade academies (HAK) in Vienna, Tamsweg and Horn.

Last but not least, Karner and Holzer once again called for more options in connection with the monitoring of messenger services and internet telephony on Thursday. As far as the implementation of this goal is concerned, the minister was adamant on Thursday. He would "not let up" here, said Karner during the media meeting. "I and the police do not want a federal Trojan, no general surveillance of citizens," Karner explained. Instead, we need modern methods for the security authorities to protect against "the most serious crimes that need to be prevented." Holzer added: "You wouldn't criticize a carpenter who asks for a plane." The police need "these tools".