Cybercrime

Star profiler warns the city about fraudsters

Top German analyst Mark T. Hofmann gave an insight into the minds and motives of cyber criminals.(Bild: Stadt Wien/Christian Fürthner)

The City of Vienna hosted the first cybercrime summit at City Hall on Thursday and is now declaring war on online fraud. With top support.

Cybercrime has risen by a full 17 percent in Vienna alone in the past year - companies are particularly affected. Domestic crime statistics show that cybercrime is now the fastest growing area.

Any of us can become a victim of a hacker attack. It is important to protect yourself against this.

Mark T. Hofmann, Kriminal- & Geheimdienstanalyst

In order to be able to react to the latest developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and deepfakes, the first cybercrime summit was held at City Hall on Thursday at the invitation of Digitalization Councillor Ulli Sima (SPÖ). Together with experts from Austria and abroad, they discussed the latest developments and drew possible conclusions for the expansion of municipal services. 

"As the City of Vienna, we strive to use the many opportunities offered by digitalization to make concrete improvements to the everyday lives of the Viennese, while at the same time keeping an eye on the downsides of technological developments. It is precisely for these purposes that the exchange with experts is essential. Thanks to the input from today's inquiry into cybercrime, we will also be able to further develop the city's services and assistance," emphasizes City Councillor for Digitalization Ulli Sima (SPÖ).

Crime analyst Mark T. Hofmann with his lecture on "The psychology of cybercrime: How hackers use AI & deepfakes and how we can protect our citizens".(Bild: Stadt Wien/Christian Fürthner)

Mark T. Hofmann was also present. The German star profiler gave an insight into the mindset of cyber criminals and the latest tricks and scams used by fraudsters. According to the renowned expert, high-quality "deepfakes", which can be generated with little effort using artificial intelligence, are a powerful tool for hackers.

The city wants to counter this and created a central first point of contact for victims of cybercrime, such as phishing, cyberbullying or online stalking, with the Cybercrime Helpline on 01/4000 4006 in the fall of 2022. In more than 1,300 cases, Vienna has already been referred to the appropriate professional advice center following suspected fraud.