Data from the 2024 Brazilian Public Security Yearbook shows that the increase in electronic fraud has changed the profile of property crimes in Brazil
Cell phones are the “Gateway” for a series of crimes that are increasing the power of criminal organizations in Brazil. The finding is present in the 2024 Public Security Yearbook, released on Thursday (18.Jul.2024) by the Brazilian Public Security Forum. Read the full (PDF – 14MB).
According to the document, the increase in virtual fraud and cell phone thefts gained traction in 2023, while records of robberies at banks and commercial establishments fell by 30% and 18.8%, respectively. This is a reconfiguration of the dynamics of property crime that began during the social isolation imposed by the pandemic.
Although the study’s authors admit that the sharp increase in records is being influenced by the recent classification of the crime of electronic fraud, which came into force in 2021, the increase in fraud in the digital environment is a global trend.
“Technological and social changes greatly affect criminal dynamics”, the study states. “As the technology revolution transforms our society and changes the way people interact, new opportunities are emerging for criminals.”.
The yearbook also highlights that street crime involves greater risks, as it involves the threat or use of physical violence. In this case, police institutions and the wide circulation of people in public areas tend to limit and constrain thieves.
“Criminals today run a much greater risk of being approached by the police, who, with the support of technology and working in an integrated manner with other bodies and spheres of Public Power, such as city halls, have managed to reduce response times and prevent escapes.”, says the forum.
CASES EXPLODE IN THE NORTH AND NORTHEAST
Between 2022 and 2023, fraud increased by 13.6% in the virtual environment. The study shows that the increases in the states of Paraíba, Roraima, Piauí and Amazonas exceeded the 100% rate: 153.7%, 143.3%, 111.6% and 109.3%, respectively.
Cell phone thefts, which on average saw a slight increase of 0.8% nationwide, rose 43.5% in Pernambuco, 40.7% in Maranhão and 29.7% in Bahia. Researchers believe that this trend may be related to a tactic of stealing unlocked phones from victims.
“It is no surprise that frauds began to surpass the number of robberies in Brazil as of 2021 and that, in 2023, 1,965,353 frauds and 870,320 robberies were registered in the national territory. There is a significant change in the nature of crime against property”, the report says.
According to FGV (Fundação Getulio Vargas), Brazil had 258 million smartphones in May 2024 – which represents 1.2 devices per inhabitant.
– MONEY IN THE MARKET, + SCAMS
To the Poder360the Public Security specialist at PUC-MG, José Flavio Sapori, stated that the increase in the number of cases of digital fraud may be related to the reduction in the circulation of cash in urban centers.
“As the circulation of banknotes is falling and economic transactions are being carried out through information technologies, such as Pix, the targets available for theft have decreased.”, declared Sappori.
Asked whether street robbers are migrating to the virtual environment, the expert said he had doubts: “Fraud is a more sophisticated crime. Not just anyone can put down their firearm and acquire expertise in the digital world.“.
“CRIMINAL CREATIVITY” ADVANCES
According to the national coordinator of the PT Public Security Sector, Abdael Ambruster, there was an explosion of “criminal creativity” during the pandemic. In view of this, the institutional apparatus must invest in police intelligence, technology and training of agents to combat “evolution” of property crime.
“Today, crime is globalized, transnational. The PCC [Primeiro Comando da Capital] is proof of this. Therefore, it is necessary to redirect resources to train financial, investigative and software intelligence… It is also necessary to invest in training agents, improve their remuneration, and capture minds in universities.”, said Ambruster.
CRIME IN MUTATION
According to the researcher of the Economics of Crime, Pery Shikida, criminal rationality is based on the cost-benefit relationship. The chances of success and the reward for crimes of an economic nature are therefore greater in the virtual environment.
“Rarely is the criminal caught”said Shikida. For him, whoever commits the crime weighs 5 “big costs”: 1) the chances of being arrested, two) the intensity of the sentence, 3) the operating cost, 4) the opportunity cost and 5) the moral damage.
“If the benefit outweighs the losses, the criminal puts the potential pecuniary benefits before everything else”Shikida declared.
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