Ask the expert: We need to raise awareness of cybercrime
Often, we think of crime as a physical action — theft, assault, arson —rather than something that occurs in cyberspace. However, cybercrimes continue to increase in frequency. In 2025, the average American is more likely to be the victim of a cybercrime compared to a violent crime. For example, based on numbers from the 2021 National Crime Victimization Survey, the average American was 4–9 times more likely to be a victim of identity theft compared to a violent crime like robbery or assault, and the threat continues to grow.
Rachel McNealey is an assistant professor at Michigan State University’s School of Criminal Justice and is an associate at the MSU Center for Cybercrime Investigation and Training. Here, she answers questions about cybercrimes on the rise and what people can do to protect themselves.
What is the general awareness of cybercrime?
There is a lot of conversation, both political and cultural, about crime. If you ask the average person ‘What is crime?’ they are likely to say something like robbery or murder. However, statistically, these are not the types of crime they are most likely to experience.
Although most people are now somewhat familiar with the idea of computer viruses and hacking, there is less public awareness of cybercrimes like sextortion, the threat of releasing one’s intimate pictures in exchange for money, or romance scams, like posing as a romantic partner to defraud a victim into sending money, which contribute to massive financial loss and even deaths.
The media has started to bring more attention to this phenomenon, particularly with heightened attention to artificial intelligence–generated material and suicides that have resulted from sextortion. However, the reality is that even when someone takes all the correct steps, they can still be victimized. People may not know they have been victimized, where to report or how to protect themselves. This is why it is crucial to raise awareness about cybercrimes that impact individuals and families. Cybercrimes do not only affect businesses or corporations; in fact, the threat to the average American household continues to rise.
Are cybercrimes on the rise?
Cybercrime is consistently increasing and has been rising since the advent of the internet. It is difficult to know the true magnitude because we do not have a reliable single source of cybercrime incident statistics in the United States. Although we don’t have one single source for cybercrime data, there are many sources and organizations from which we can see that many forms of cybercrime are growing in frequency and financial impact. For example, data from the Internet Crime Complaint Center, or IC3, show that the frequency and financial losses from cybercrime have been steadily climbing since 2018, with older adults reporting staggering amounts of financial loss (almost $5 billion in 2024).
Based on the limited data available, it is more likely that the average U.S. citizen will be a victim of a cybercrime than an offline crime. In a comparative Gallup poll from 2018, findings showed that nearly a quarter (23%) of Americans had been impacted by online financial theft compared to 12% who reported motor vehicle theft, the most frequent type of property crime. This was even before incidents of identity theft and scams skyrocketed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. More recent data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics show that the victimization rate of identity theft and online fraud far outpaces that of violent or offline property crime. This does not mean that offline crime is not of concern, nor should it indicate that financial cybercrimes are the only types that we should worry about. However, it points to the need for a broader understanding of crime — awareness of the threat it poses to individuals and education on how individuals can protect themselves.
How are official agencies responding to cybercrime?
For these types of crime, people often think that the police cannot or will not respond. However, law enforcement agencies have been consistently working against budgetary and personnel challenges to improve their ability to respond to cybercrime. With the push for more legislation at the state level to address cybercrime, this is more crucial than ever.
If you or someone you know is a victim of a cybercrime, report it to the police. This includes but is not limited to identity theft, nonconsensual distribution of intimate images (revenge porn), sextortion, or cyber harassment (depending on state statutes). Reporting these incidents is not only crucial to tracking the patterns of cybercrime, but there are often resources that law enforcement can refer a victim to that they may not have been aware of. Anyone who is victimized by a cybercrime is also encouraged to report to the IC3. Reporting to IC3 creates official documentation of reported incidents, ensures that incidents are referred to the proper responding agency, and can lead to asset recovery for some kinds of financial cybercrime. For victims of identity theft in Michigan specifically, individuals can seek assistance using Michigan Identity Theft Support.
How can people protect themselves?
Awareness is the most critical tool to address and respond to cybercrime. Most people are familiar with identity theft and other forms of financial fraud, but we need to encourage conversation about other dangerous types of cybercrime like sextortion and romance fraud. People should be aware of what constitutes a crime online, particularly those that affect children. Parents are encouraged to have conversations with children who regularly use the internet to make them aware of what to look out for and when to tell a trusted adult.
In addition to awareness of what constitutes a crime, individuals should pay attention to the information they are sharing online. This includes photos, locations and other potentially sensitive information. Anyone who uses the internet for any purpose should employ consistent cyber hygiene, including using different passwords for different accounts and flagging or reporting suspicious emails and messages.
The fight against cybercrime is a collective effort that requires involvement from law enforcement, educators, parents, researchers and practitioners alike. The first step in accomplishing this is raising awareness about the cybercrime threat and where individuals can seek help.