In 2010 there were 303,809 complaints of Internet crime, the second-highest total in 10 years according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

The IC3 received an average of 25, 317 complaints per month in 2010. Non-delivery of payment or merchandise accounted for the most common complaints (14.4%). Scams using the FBI’s name (13.2%) and identity theft (9.8%) rounded out the top three types of complaints.

In 2010, IC3 referred nearly half of all complaints (121,710) to law enforcement
for further investigation. New technology developed for IC3 allows investigators to work on cases spanning jurisdictional boundaries. IC3 analysts also provide support for various investigative efforts.
 
“Internet crime has affected millions across the country, and the great thing about IC3 is that we have adapted our resources to meet this threat,”said NW3C Director Don Brackman.

“We have implemented new tools to help law enforcement bring online criminals to justice.”
 
Gordon M. Snow, assistant director of the FBI’s Cyber Division, added, “We encourage individuals to report Internet crime through the IC3 web portal. The IC3 is a unique resource for federal, state, and local law enforcement to intake cases efficiently, find patterns in what otherwise appear to be isolated incidents, combine multiple smaller crime reports into larger, higher priority cases, and ultimately bring criminals to justice.”