A representative survey commissioned by the industry association Bitkom among 1,014 people aged 16 and over in Germany examines the experiences of internet users with cybercrime. Overall, 75% of respondents stated that they had been confronted with cybercrime in 2022. In 2019, the figure was only 60%. The most common cybercrime offences are the unsolicited disclosure of personal data (46%) and fraud in online shopping (29%) or banking (13%). Attacks with malware are also still widespread (27%). The frequency of online hate speech (23%) and sexual harassment (9%) is also worrying. 3% of respondents have even been victims of digital identity theft.
As the survey shows, internet users react very differently when confronted with online crime. 32% of respondents did not react at all. 47% of respondents stated that they had contacted the relevant platform operators in connection with the incidents. 18% have deleted their account with the respective company in response to cybercrime. Another 18% have filed a criminal complaint.
In contrast, there is a consistent picture with regard to the expectations of politicians in the fight against cybercrime. 97% of respondents call for the deployment of special police units to combat cybercrime. 93% call for more police presence in the digital space.
