(FILE PHOTO / REUTERS)
MANILA, Philippines — Cybercrimes in Metro Manila increased by 152 percent in the first six months of 2023 compared to the same period last year.
According to the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), latest data released during the Joint Anti-Bank Robbery and Cybercrime Coordinating Committee Second Quarter Meeting for 2023 held in Taguig City showed that 6,250 cases of cybercrime were recorded from January to June 2023.
The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) recorded a total of 2,477 cybercrimes from January to June last year.
“The NCRPO said that total number of cybercrimes reported to police from January to June 30 reached 6,250 up from 2,477 recorded during the same period last year,” CICC said.
The CICC also noted that online scams almost tripled to 4,446, from 1,551 reported in the first half of 2022.
“Online scams during the same period almost tripled to 4,446 compared to 1,551 last year while illegal access reached 1,063, up 86 percent from 570 during the same period last year,” the CICC added.
“ATM and credit card fraud also rose during the first semester to 625 which is more than double the 241 cases reported during the same period last year,” it added.
Despite the ongoing implementation of the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Registration Act — which is aimed at reducing cybercrime cases by allowing authorities to crack down on perpetrators by tracking people behind the cellphone numbers used — experts believe that cybercrime would still increase.
Police Lt. Col. Jay Guillermo of the NCRPO’s Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit (RACU) said cases of cybercrime would grow exponentially because of the “availability of malware on the internet, ease of doing business of both private and government institutions, technological development, and careless online users”.