A web expert has warned law enforcement is losing the arms race against hackers as reported cybercrime is on the rise in the ACT.
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The Australian Cybercrime Online Reporting Network saw a 14 per cent jump in cybercrime reports in the ACT in 2016, up from 549 to 621.
Online scams and other fraud reported rose 23 per cent from 209 to 264 to make up nearly half of all cybercrime recorded.
Trading issues with online purchases and sales were the next biggest threats, accounting for a quarter of reports. These were followed by attacks on computer systems and cyber bullying or stalking.
About 40 per cent of Canberra's cybercrime victims were aged between 20 and 40, while 38 per cent were in the 40-60 age group.
Cybercrime expert from the Australian National University, Professor Roderic Broadhurst, said the most common attacks reported to ACORN were not surprising but were the tip of the iceberg.
"These numbers are significant but they most likely under-measure how much cybercrime is experienced in the ACT in one year, because many people would not report it, would find it difficult to report or would not know they are being hacked," Professor Broadhurst said.
"This is an enormous challenge for law enforcement and I don't think we have been able to shift resources within our policing as quickly and efficiently as we'd like to meet the cybercrime challenge."
"There's an arms race and that arms race is getting hotter for all sorts of different reasons, such as cyber criminals having access to very powerful tools."
Mr Broadhurst said he believed the recent drop in reported crime in most Australian states reflected a shift of traditional crime moving online, where detection was in many cases more difficult.
The federal government launched ACORN in November 2014 to allow cybercrime victims to instantly report their experience and access information on how to stay vigilant online.
Federal Justice Minister Michael Keenan said the ACORN data showed law enforcement efforts would always be challenged by organised criminals who prey on vulnerable Australians.
"The threat of malicious cyber activity is serious and growing," Mr Keenan said.
"It endangers the privacy and safety of Australians, the wealth and information generated and held by our businesses and governments, and our national security."
An ACT Policing spokeswoman said one of the most common scams reported were email scams that look legitimate in their use of email addresses or logos but will usually have some incorrect spelling or grammar.
"If links within the message are clicked, the recipient's computer could be infected with malware which could render it inoperable," the spokeswoman said.
"Anyone who receives a scam email should delete it immediately. If you receive an email scam, check if the anti-virus software is current and consider running a virus scan of your computer, in case it has been infected."
She urged cybercrime victims to spread the word to friends and family, particularly those vulnerable to online crime.
"The more people who are informed about how these scams work, the more likely they'll recognise and be able to take steps to protect themselves against scammers," she said,
The spokeswoman reminded people who believe they have been the victim of online fraud to report it police, as well as to ACORN if it is an online scam via http://www.acorn.gov.au/.
