Rising Cybercrime in the EU: The Increasing Role of AI

In the EU, cybercrime, romance scams, and sexual violence against children are escalating. Criminals are leveraging AI for sophisticated extortion methods, phishing attacks, deepfakes, and fraud templates.

Europol highlights the use of AI in grooming techniques, shock calls, and the creation of harmful content. Cybercriminals exploit AI for Ransomware, child abuse, online fraud, and deepfakes, posing threats to digital infrastructures and small businesses.

Europol warns against the misuse of AI in generating child sexual abuse materials, complicating efforts to combat online exploitation. The agency reveals the alarming statistic of 300 million children falling victim to online sexual violence annually.

Europol's report underscores the critical view of AI misuse and the current internet threats, including sextortion and deepfakes, emphasizing the need for vigilance and stringent measures to safeguard against these evolving risks.