Technology

September 25, 2024

Top 10 countries with highest rate of internet scams

Top 10 countries with highest rate of internet scams

In this article, we delve into the top 10 internet scamming countries in the world with the ranking being a report of a three-year extensive investigation conducted by a global team of academics.

By Obiesie Ifechi

After three years of extensive investigation, a global team of academics has created the first-ever “World Cybercrime Index,” which ranks the most important national sources of cybercrime and identifies the world’s major hotspots.

The World Cybercrime Index was developed by researchers from the University of Oxford and UNSW Canberra, who surveyed 92 leading cybercrime experts to gather data.

The study ‘Mapping the global geography of cybercrime with the World Cybercrime Index’ is a comprehensive study that identifies the globe’s key cybercrime hotspots by ranking the most relevant sources of cybercrime at a national level.

This ranking is based on a comprehensive study that surveyed 92 leading cybercrime experts from around the globe.

These countries were assessed according to the technical skills, impact, and professionalism of their cyber criminals, following the five major categories of cybercrime considered in the study.

The categories were listed in the study as Technical products/services (e.g. malware coding, botnet access, access to compromised systems, tool production); Attacks and extortion, Data/identity theft, Scams and Cashing out/money laundering.

In this article, we delve into the top 10 internet scamming countries ranked in the world cybercrime index.

Russia

Russia is top-ranked in the world cybercrime index with a WCI score of 58.39.

Ukraine

Ukraine ranks second globally as a cybercrime threat, following Russia, according to the World Cybercrime Index with a WCI score 36.44. Ukraine’s high ranking is attributed to its skilled cybercriminals, with the country being considered a highly technical cybercrime hub.

China

China ranks third in the world as a cybercrime threat, following Russia and Ukraine with a WCI score of 27.86.

United States

The United States ranks fourth among the world’s top cybercrime hotspots, according to the World Cybercrime Index, with a WCI score of 25.01. The FBI plays a crucial role in combating cybercrime in the USA, with specially trained cyber squads in each of its 56 field offices. The agency also collaborates with international partners to tackle global cyber threats.

Nigeria

Nigeria is considered a major cybercrime threat globally. With a WCI score of 21.28, the country ranks fifth among the world’s top cybercrime hotspots. The Nigerian government has introduced measures to tackle cybercrime, including the Cybercrime Act 2015.

Romania

With a WCI score of 14.83, Romania ranks sixth among the world’s top cybercrime hotspots, following Russia, Ukraine, China, the USA, and Nigeria .

North Korea

North Korea ranks 7th among the world’s top cybercrime hotspots, according to the World Cybercrime Index, with a WCI score of 10.61. Despite its isolated status, North Korea has developed sophisticated cyber capabilities, posing huge threats to global cybersecurity. Some notable North Korean Cybercrime Groups are the Lazarus Group, Bureau 121 and the Reconnaissance General Bureau

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom ranks eighth among the world’s top cybercrime hotspots, according to the World Cybercrime Index, with a WCI score of 9.01. The country has made some effort to combat Cybercrime. The UK government has published the National Cyber Security Strategy 2016 to 2021, aiming to make Britain secure and resilient in cyberspace.

Brazil

This country is ranked 8th on the list with a WCI score of 8.93. Brazil has made great progress in combating cybercrime, jumping from 71st to 18th place in the world cybersecurity ranking, according to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) . This improvement is attributed to the maturity of private companies and government agencies working together to address cyber threats. However, Brazil still faces serious cybercrime challenges.

India

India ranks 10th in the world in terms of cybercrime threats, according to the World Cybercrime Index with a WCI score of 6.13.

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