That online scams have increased in recent years is not a secret to anyone: we are all, to a greater or lesser extent, aware either by the fraudulent SMS we receive on our mobile phones, or by the advertisements for supposedly succulent business opportunities that ensure income. stratospheric with just a few clicks. But now, a study carried out by the EAE business school puts figures on this problem in Spain. Online scams have experienced exponential growth of 509.1% since 2016.
This is why it is understood that 47.4% of Spaniards claim to have suffered a scam or attempted scam in the last year, as can be seen from this report. But there is another thing that is more surprising: the demographic group most likely to suffer scams is not the oldest, but the millennials and generation Z (25-24 years old), which, on the other hand, can be understood due to greater Internet use and, therefore, greater exposure.
At a geographical level, the greater volume of business in Madrid and Barcelona is also taken into account by hackers and cybercriminals, since these two cities account for 30% of cyberattacks in our country. This reminds us of the importance of companies investing in cybersecurity equipment, which protects both the company’s sensitive data and that of its clients or users.
In total, in the first half of 2024, 237,240 cases of cybercrime have been registered in Spain, which represents an increase of 10% compared to the same period in 2023.
These data mean that, in 2023, the known crimes of computer fraud (more than 400,000) and computer forgery (more than 15,000) will greatly exceed other criminal categories such as sexual crimes, crimes against honor or threats or illicit access and interception.
AI and automation to create more personal scams
Artificial intelligence and new automation and individual profiling tools are and will undoubtedly be useful for cybercriminal teams, who will use them to build more personalized scam methods and campaigns to circumvent the disbelief of those affected.
According to Jordi Ferrer Guillén, professor at EAE Business School and director of the report, “new technologies such as artificial intelligence, which facilitate automation and behavioral learning, are being used to create threats that are increasingly personalized and difficult to detect.” explains, adding that “it is essential that both companies and individuals strengthen their cybersecurity measures and stay up to date on new forms of attacks.”
Regarding specific types of scam or social engineering, the study highlights the example of the WhatsApp verification code scam, in which “a message is sent requesting a verification code that has just arrived on the phone and through a credible ruse of deception, the user may lose control of their access to the WhatsApp application.
Despite all this, and although 60% of the population acknowledges having “little or no” knowledge about the protection of their online data, Spain is one of the countries with the strongest cybersecurity, according to various indices. In the National Cyber ​​Security Index (NCSI) of 2023, Spain occupies tenth position on the list of countries with the best digital security.
