9-7-2023 (MANILA) The Philippine National Police has reported a significant increase in cybercrime incidents in Metro Manila during the first half of this year. According to police data, there has been a staggering 152% rise compared to the same period last year.
From January to June 2023, the police recorded a total of 6,250 cybercrimes in Metro Manila, up from 2,477 incidents reported during the corresponding period in 2022.
Authorities attribute the “exponential rise” in cybercrime to the carelessness of online users and the prevalence of online malware.
In a statement, the police highlighted that online scams nearly tripled, reaching 4,446 cases compared to 1,551 last year. Illegal access incidents also soared by 86% to 1,063, up from 570 cases reported during the same period in 2022.
Furthermore, incidents of automated teller machine (ATM) and credit card fraud more than doubled during the first semester, with 625 cases recorded compared to 241 cases in the previous year.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Jay Guillermo, from the Anti-Cybercrime Unit in the National Capital Region, expressed his projection that the exponential growth of cybercrime will continue. Factors such as the widespread availability of malware on the internet, the ease of conducting business for both private and government institutions, technological advancements, and the carelessness of online users contribute to this trend.
During the period from January 1 to June 15 of this year, the police received a total of 4,615 complaints, with the majority related to online fraud, illegal access, and online libel.
