cybercrime

American  

[sahy-ber-krahym] / ˈsaɪ bərˌkraɪm /

Or cyber crime

noun

1. criminal activity or a crime that involves the internet, a computer system, or computer technology.

   identity theft, phishing, and other kinds of cybercrime.

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cybercrime British  

/ ˈsaɪbəˌkraɪm /

noun

1. the illegal use of computers and the internet

2. crime committed by means of computers or the internet

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Other Word Forms

• cybercriminal
  noun

Etymology

Origin of cybercrime

First recorded in 1990–95; cyber- + crime

Explanation

Cybercrime is illegal activity that involves a computer network. Computer hacking and using the Internet to steal credit card numbers are both kinds of cybercrime. When criminals use a computer that's connected to the Internet to commit a crime, it's considered cybercrime. If you have your identity stolen after entering information on a website you think is secure, you're a victim of cybercrime. Malware or computer viruses are another type of cybercrime. The word itself uses the prefix cyber-, which since the early 1990s has been used in many words to signify a connection to the Internet or electronics.

Example Sentences

But data suggests that cybercrime isn't letting up.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

Christine Ji explained how Anthropic’s Mythos AI model underscores the threat of a new wave of cybercrime.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026

Today, it serves as a microcosm of the country’s takeover by cybercrime syndicates.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

Cambodia has been fertile ground for cybercrime, analysts say: It has fast internet, the economy runs mostly on the dollar and top government posts often pass within families from one generation to the next.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

Global cybercrime is forecast to increase 15% this year, potentially reaching $12.5 trillion in losses..

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026