This article is published in collaboration with Statista
by Felix Richter
When online platforms report on data breaches, they are often quick to point out that no financial data or passwords have been stolen. Internet users whose personal data has potentially been exposed often share that kind of nonchalance, shrugging of the threat of falling victim to cyber crime as long as their credit card data is safe.
It is important to note, however, that structured data sets tying user names to email addresses and phone numbers are a feast for scammers, spammers and other types of internet criminals.
According to a recent FBI report on internet crime, more than 300,000 Americans fell victim to phishing, vishing and smishing attacks last year, making it the most common type of cyber crime. With identity theft and confidence fraud also high on the list of common offenses, protecting personal data from getting into the wrong hands is a crucial part in the fight against online crime.
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