by Dave Williams | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – Cybercrime is on the rise in Georgia and around the country.
Georgia ranked 11th in internet-related complaints last year, up from 13th in 2023, according to the FBI’s newly released Internet Crime Report 2024. The potential losses of $420 million represented a 40% increase between 2023 and last year.
Nationally, internet crime complaints rose to 859,532 in 2024, with related losses topping $16.6 billion up by 33% over the previous year.
The top three cybercrimes nationwide measured by the number of complaints reported, were phishing/spoofing, extortion, and personal data breaches. However, losses related to cryptocurrency far exceeded any other category.
“While the top threats facing Georgia and the nation from cyber criminals and fraudsters continue to evolve, their main goal remains stealing your hard-earned money,” said Paul Brown, special agent in charge at the Atlanta FBI office. “The cornerstone of the FBI’s mission remains to protect American citizens.”
Elderly Georgians are particularly vulnerable to cybercrime. Internet crime complaints lodged by adults ages 60 and older soared by 71% last year, while reported losses increased by 89%.
Reports of cryptocurrency-related crimes in Georgia jumped even more in 2024 – by 122% – while estimated losses were up by 66% from 2023.
