As reported by the Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS), a total of 522.558 crimes were registered under the Strafgesetzbuch (Criminal Code, StGB) in 2023, an alarming rise of 14.0% compared to last year. The most striking thing is the enormous increase in digital criminality by 31.5%.
With some 80%, most of these Internet crimes consisted of fraud, i.e. money or data theft on the web. Most frequently, these amounted to phishing cases, that is attempted fraud trying to obtain personal data. Scams via online payment systems and identity theft have also seen a steep rise. In addition, there is an increasing number of fraud cases on platforms where you can purchase goods. With these so-called small ad scams, goods ordered and paid for were often never delivered.
This development shows that in an ever increasing number of cases, crimes takes place online and pose a tough challenge. The strong rise in Internet crime in the year 2023 clearly demonstrates the importance of securing your own online presence.
Make sure to protect yourself and your data with our “5 steps for your digital security”.
You should also read up on the most frequently used type of scams, i.e. phishing, and are also welcome to take our phishing test to find out how good you are at recognising phishing attempts.
Finally, you can also download the complete annual police crime statistics report here.
