Cyber criminals have wreaked havoc during the worst periods of the pandemic, and they continue to prey on the most vulnerable. In the Murcia Region, more complaints reach the National Police than in any other autonomous community, according to the Interior Ministry’s Crime Balance. The Murcia autonomous community shows the sharpest rise in cybercrime in 2022, with criminals targeting the young and the elderly as easy prey.
Specifically, the latest report from the Ministry of the Interior covers January through December 2022 and shows a 24.1% increase in cybercrime in the Murcia region compared with the prior year. When compared with 2019, the last pre-pandemic year, the trend is even more alarming. Since then, digital crime has grown by about 146.5% in the region.
The autonomous community logged a total of 9,937 cybercrimes last year. In 2021, there were 8,009 offenses, and four years earlier the count stood at 4,031 before the pandemic amplified these online criminal activities.
Hackers mask scams behind new apps and enticing rewards
Fraud remains a major danger for internet users and accounts for the vast majority of offenses. In 2022, the number of perpetrators in the region reached 8,619, up from 6,754 in 2021 and 3,358 before the pandemic, representing about 86.7% of total cybercrime cases.
False “good deeds” and distress signals
A colleague once quipped that a cybercriminal may no longer rob your house but instead steals from your devices. A senior member of the Civil Guard’s Area Technological Research Team underscored that sometimes the first virus is the user’s own curiosity. This is exactly how babies and the elderly can get ensnared on pages or apps controlled by cyber crooks.
Criminal schemes online have evolved as users themselves have grown wiser, and they no longer rely on the old ploys. Promises of foreign fortunes or royal inheritances have largely given way to more subtle traps. Yet researchers emphasize that cybercrime persists and people continue to bite, even when the schemes appear less dramatic than before.
Over half of National Police complaints in the region concern cyber fraud
Criminals continually pursue more sophisticated methods, exploiting the vulnerabilities of those less accustomed to digital threats, notably children and the elderly. The growing use of technology among these groups makes them easy targets, and scammers adapt as technology evolves.
Deception is often rooted in simple, child-friendly interactions. Children may unknowingly click on ads or engage with products promoted in popular mobile games, sometimes involving banks or personal information of their parents. Hackers frequently disguise digital scams as appealing offers related to new apps and rewards, luring kids to play while exposing banking details and personal data of families.
Experts note that many phishing attempts now hide behind fake promotions for games or in-game rewards. Users are asked to download the latest version of a fraudulent game or enter credentials to receive free in-game items, and they comply without understanding the consequences.
For seniors, a familiar pattern persists: notifications on their phones that appear to be from banks or financial institutions warn of blocked accounts, prompting them to reveal sensitive information. The region’s Technological Research Team leader notes that solving a cybercrime is typically more complex than solving a homicide and requires judicial authorization and cooperation with operators, sometimes even involving non-regional companies.
Some schemes lure children into gambling and cryptocurrency ecosystems. Fernando Miró, director of the Crime Center at Miguel Hernández University in Alicante, stresses that phishing has evolved: attackers don’t always need direct access to accounts—payment can be triggered by simply approving a payment on a device. He warns that the online world has become a game, and apps themselves introduce young users to risky dynamics like betting or unready financial ventures.
Miró advocates limiting children’s access to devices and maintaining parental awareness of what games and apps prompt. He emphasizes the need for broad education for children, parents, and seniors to use technology safely and recognize potential dangers.
Prosecutor’s Notice
District Attorney General Jose Luis Diaz Manzanera highlighted the challenge of stopping or tracing criminals who operate online. He notes that it only takes an email account to sign up for social networks, making it easy for offenders to join and abandon accounts quickly, creating a trail that is hard to follow.
The danger with video games is that minors may participate without understanding what they are accepting or the implications for family finances. The apps themselves may be legal, yet the actions form a pathway to misuse, sometimes tying into a parent’s banking details that are already linked to a phone.
In Murcia, cybercrime data by municipality in 2022 shows a varied picture: Cartagena reported 1,519 cases, Lorca 444, Mazarrón around 200, Murcia city itself about 3,214, and several other towns contributing smaller numbers, illustrating how cyber threats span the region.