Over 500 Cybercrimes Committed Daily in Russia

According to the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD), more than 206,000 cybercrimes were recorded in Russia last year, with police managing to identify over 24,000 offenders in this field.

“In 2018, law enforcement agencies registered over 206,000 crimes in the field of telecommunications and computer information. These include cases that were already under investigation at the beginning of the year or were registered during the reporting period. The crimes were committed using or involving payment cards, computer equipment, software, fake electronic payments, the internet, and mobile communication devices,” the ministry’s statement said.

The MVD also noted that in 2018, police were able to identify more than 24,000 individuals who committed these crimes.

In February, the Prosecutor General’s Office reported that the number of cybercrimes in Russia had increased nearly 16 times over six years, reaching 174,000 cases, of which about 43,000 were investigated.

Cybercrimes include the distribution of malicious software, password hacking, theft of bank card numbers and passwords, and fraud involving electronic payment systems.

Experts say that the average cybercriminal is a young man aged up to 30–35 years, who may not necessarily have a high level of technical expertise.