LISBON, Sept. 12 -- Portugal saw a 37 percent increase in cybercrime complaints in 2023, with nearly 3,000 cases reported, according to a report published by the Attorney General's Office (PGR) on Thursday.

Common scams involved "hello mom, hello dad" messages and fraudulent debt collections targeting businesses, the report said.

The PGR report noted 2,916 complaints last year, up from 2,124 in 2022, and emphasized that cybercrime is on a clear upward trend.

Since records began in 2016 with only 108 complaints, the number has steadily risen, with over 3,000 cases expected by 2024.

Phishing and online shopping scams were also highlighted, along with fraud in real estate, job offers, and cryptocurrency investments.

Organized crime was identified as a major factor, with large-scale scams impacting numerous victims simultaneously.

  - Xinhua