Computer and Internet Crimes Jumped During 2010

When people are victims of crimes, it most frequently still involves stolen money or goods, or having a home, car or other property vandalized. But Gallup's 2010 crime survey says a big new entrant in the universe of misdeeds is computer or Internet crime.

While 16 percent of those who were victims of a crime in the last 12 months said it involved theft, and 14 percent reported vandalized property, those who said they experienced a computer or Internet crime jumped to 11 percent, an increase from the 6 percent to 8 percent levels of the previous seven years.

After those top three, the next biggest category was identity theft which was reported by 8 percent.

"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," Gallup said. "Whether the increase in computer-/Internet-based crime can be curbed by new methods to thwart it, or only expands along with Americans' use of the Internet, could have important implications for how positive the online experience is in the coming years, and how trusted it is by consumers."

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