Do you know what your teenager is doing online?
With Brexit looming around the corner there are risks of a ‘New wave’ of cybercrime. Among this wave are gamers, some of them autistic gamers that are being recruited by cyber-criminals, warn UK police.
Cybercrime is racing ahead, and we need to keep up
Scientists are now studying a potential link between autism and cybercrime, which has been noted by police cyber-crime officers.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said that 82 percent of youngsters being recruited by criminals have developed computer skills by playing video games. It was revealed that more than four in five cybercriminals are gamers, with many of the players found to be on the autistic spectrum.
“When you look at the individuals that are involved in cyber crimes, the people we arrest have a high level of cyber skill, we found 82 percent of them are gamers,” A West Midlands police spokesperson said.
Officers also expressed concern that these types of online game activities could often escalate into full-blown hacking and computer fraud offences. West Midlands Police chief superintendent Chris Todd said officers needed to take creative steps to combat this crime and behaviour.
The UK police would like to tell teenagers to “Don’t stop developing your skills, but stop committing a crime” These teenagers are very skilled, very talented individuals that modern society needs in their economy working effectively within legitimate organizations.