Romania in 3rd place in terms of number of phishing sites

Furthermore, Romania has also been classified high up in terms of other illicit activities, such as online financial fraud. “It is assumed that the development of illegal activities is due to the country’s pro-computer culture, dating back to the time it was part of the former communist bloc. As a result, Romanians are familiar with technology and it is possible for them to use accumulated knowledge for illegal activities,” states the same report.

Phishing, one of the most common means for personal data theft, generated losses worth $3 billion (some €2.2 bln) worldwide, according the Gartner IT market research company. In 12 months, ending August 2007, 3.6 million adults lost some $3.2 bln due to this type of attack.