More Americans Say They're Cybercrime Victims

11% of U.S. Households Report Computer-Related Crime in Past Year

By Eric Chabrow

Americans are nearly as likely to be victimized by an Internet-based crime as they are of other forms of nonviolent theft. At least that's the perceptions expressed by Americans when asked about crimes committed against themselves and their families.

Eleven percent of American adults report that they or a household member fell victim to a computer or Internet crime on their home computers in the past year, according to a Gallup Poll released Monday. By comparison, over the previous seven years, the percentage of Americans saying their were victimized by computer or Internet crimes ranged from between 6 percent and 8 percent.

Gallup says:

 "At 11 percent, computer/Internet-based crime is edging closer in reported frequency to the most common traditional forms of crime involving nonviolent theft of personal property and vandalism. Further, the increase is an exception in the overall crime picture, in that Americans' victimization reports have been fairly steady over the past several years. Not only has the overall percentage of Americans experiencing any type of crime been fairly flat, but Americans' reports of specific crimes have been flat as well."

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