The metaverse could be used not only to facilitate crime in the physical realm, but could also be used for various other dangerous forms of cybercrime, as a new Interpol warning warns.
Interpol's executive director of technology and innovation, Madan Oberoi, explained that member countries are increasingly concerned about possible crimes in the metaverse and are already offering possible solutions.
There are a number of ways the metaverse can be abused for criminal purposes, he said: "Some of the crime may be new to this medium, some of the existing crime will be enabled by the medium and taken to a new level."
Phishing has evolved
One of the most popular fraud methods, phishing, could take on a whole new meaning when virtual reality and augmented reality are added, Oberoi said. Also, the issue of child safety cannot be underestimated.
There are also ways that threat actors can use virtual realities to plan and practice future physical attacks: "If a terrorist group wants to attack a physical space, they can use that space to plan, simulate, and launch their exercises before attacking.
Many games come with a mapping capability, and with virtual reality, criminals can explore specific locations in chilling detail.
Interpol's European counterpart, Europol, says it is also on its way to tackling future crimes, and recently warned that if the metaverse uses blockchain technology to record user interaction, it could be possible to "track everything someone does based on a interaction with them, providing valuable information". information for harassers or extortionists".
Blockchain, the technology behind bitcoin (opens in a new tab) and other cryptocurrencies, stores data in a decentralized ledger that makes it immutable and incorruptible.
Via: Reuters (opens in a new tab)