Cybercrimes and pandemic

Abstract

This article addresses the occurrence of cybercrimes in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. Given the atypical situation noted in this period of sanitary crisis, it is valid to analyze qualitatively how factors related to the current moment, such as emotional vulnerability, social distance, e-commerce, remote work and the greater virtualization of most activities, created propitious conditions to the carrying out of these crimes, which were intensified in the year of 2020. It examines, in each type of crime, factors -targets, means, purposes and facilitators - that surround the activities of criminals, clarifying even the social engineering directly involved in the illicit acts. For example, it is given a criminal detail about the fraud in Emergency Aid, a typical and exclusive crime in the exceptional public health scenario, due to the circulation of the new coronavirus. In light of all these issues, there is a growing need to inform and make the population aware of the risks of using the Internet, alerting to the serious dangers and harmful effects of cybercrimes, which weaken not only civil society, but private institutions and the Brazilian State as a whole.