COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- The growing problem of cybercrime is keeping local FBI agents busy. The FBI estimates cybercrime is a $0.5 billion-a-year problem.
They say reports of cybercrime increased more than 22 percent last year. They took 300,000 complaints from people who say they were victims of cybercrime.
The FBI says Colorado Springs has a slightly higher than average rate of cybercrime. what makes the Springs special is also what makes it attractive to cyber criminals.
The Internet is a place where billions of dollars change hands every year. But not everyone in cyberspace is what they say they are, and they could be looking to steal your money.
"With the internet you may think you are talking to your neighbor or someone else in the community when in fact that person is in another state or overseas," Special Agent Dan Leyman said.
Leyman specializes in investigating cybercrime. He says most crime on the Internet is "garden variety."
"People buy something on eBay or what have you and they send their money in and they never get the product," Leyman said.
But there are also child pornography and computer intrusions to deal with.
Because Colorado Springs has a number high-tech companies there are a lot of people here who are good with computers.
But that doesn’t keep people in El Paso County from falling victim to cybercrime. In fact, the proud military tradition in the Pikes Peak region makes residents more of a target for fraudsters and e-mail scammers.
"We’ve got five military bases here. Because of that the community tends to be more outgoing and they want to help their neighbor, they want to help people," Leyman said.
The FBI says the problem is so bad they have partnered with private industry to deal with the thousands of cybercrime complaints they get every year.
If you've been a victim of cybercrime and would like to file a complaint, click here.
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