The non-consensual money transfers and the computer data interception have become two of the types of cybercrimes that have grown the most in Colombia during 2026. The first, which include operations in which assets are moved without authorization from their owner, they went from 2,012 cases between January and August 2025 at 4,094 during the same period this year. He increase was 103.5 percent. That is to say, registrations practically doubled in just one year.
The Interception of computer data followed a similar trend. The cases increased from 341 to 654a variation close to 92 percent compared to the first eight months of last year.
The figures of Ministry of Defense show that these two behaviors are part of a much broader phenomenon. Between January and August 2026 64,596 computer crimes were registered in Colombia. During the same period of 2025 47,056 had been reported. The difference is 17,540 cases and represents a growth of 37.3 percent.
Cyber Center of the National Police. Photo:National Police
The data takes on a greater dimension when reviewing the entire previous year. During the twelve months of 2025 69,328 cases were recorded. Thus, with still four months left to count in the 2026 base, the country was less than 5,000 records away from reaching everything reported last year.
A review of the last five years allows us to dimension the phenomenon. Between 2022 and August 2026 334,011 associated cases were registered with the different modalities of computer crimes.
In 2022 there were 61,993. By 2023, the figure reached 63,249 and in 2024 it reached the highest point of the period, with 74,845 cases. In 2025 there was a reduction to 69,328, but the behavior of the first eight months of this year once again marked an upward trend.
Although non-consensual transfers and data interception are among the behaviors that increase the most in percentage terms, the bulk of cases continue to be concentrated in another crime.
Police Cyber Center collaborated in the investigation. Photo:Courtesy
He theft by computer and similar means accumulates 170,189 cases between 2022 and August 2026. Accounts for more than half of all crimes computers included in the analyzed records.
Only in the first eight months of this year 37,128 cases were recorded. In the same period of 2025 there had been 26,119. The difference represents a growth of 42.1 percent.
He abusive access to a computer system ranks second by volume. During the last five years, it accumulates 66,263 cases. Between January and August 2026 12,163 were registeredcompared to 9,315 during the same period of the previous year, an increase of 30.6 percent.
The violation of personal data is the third modality with the highest number of records and adds 48,737 cases since 2022. It also presents an increase this year. Between January and August It went from 5,964 cases in 2025 to 7,429 in 2026a 24.6 percent growth.
Spoofing is known to be a falsification of the website through different techniques. Photo:iStock
Then the spoofing websites to capture personal datawith 21,640 cases accumulated during the last five years. This is one of the modalities that, contrary to the general trend, decreased during 2026. The records they went from 2,796 to 2,510 between January and August, a 10.2 percent reduction.
The non-consensual transfers of assets total 17,614 cases since 2022. Despite occupying fifth place in volume, show the steepest growth this yearwith a increase of more than 100 percent.
In the modalities with the lowest number of registrations there are also significant movements. The computer data interception increased by 91.8 percenthe computer damage grew by 82.5 percent and the use of software malicious rose 72.9 percent.
The unlawful interference with computer systems or telecommunications networks, on the other hand, it went from 259 cases between January and August 2025 at 171 During the same period in 2026, a reduction close to 34 percent.
Bogotá concentrates the largest number of cases
The territorial distribution shows that a considerable part of computer crimes is concentrated in the main urban areas of the country.
Bogotá widely leads the record of the last five years. Between 2022 and August 2026 accumulates 103,236 casesalmost one in three of the 334,011 counted throughout the country during that period.
Cybercrimes are on the rise. Photo:Security Secretariat of Bogotá
Antioquia appears in second place with 48,146 cases and Valle del Cauca occupies third with 30,715.
After Cundinamarca is locatedwith 22,298 cases; Atlanticwith 14,655; Santanderwith 13,619; Tolima, with 9,160; Bolívar, with 8,906; Meta, with 7,662, and Boyacá, with 7,396.
The behavior of 2026 also shows that registrations are growing strongly in several of those territories.
Bogotá went from 13,856 cases between January and August 2025 to 20,907 in the same period of 2026. There are 7,051 additional cases and one 50.9 percent increase.
In Antioch records passed from 6,954 to 7,944, a 14.2 percent growthwhile Valle del Cauca increased from 4,705 to 4,959, equivalent to 5.4 percent.
Cundinamarca went from 2,954 to 4,113 cases and register a 39.2 percent increase. Atlántico rose from 2,216 to 3,06538.3 percent.
Other departments present even greater variations. Santander went from 2,020 to 3,059 registrationsan increase of 51.4 percent. Tolima jumped from 1,218 to 2,042with a 67.7 percent growth.
In Bolívar cases increased from 1,188 to 1,900, a variation close to 60 percent, while Boyacá went from 930 to 1,592which represents an increase of more than 71 percent between the two periods analyzed.
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Nariñoanother of the departments with the highest number of reports, went from 1,136 cases in the first eight months of 2025 to 1,403 in 2026.
The data thus show two phenomena that advance at the same time. On the one hand, traditionally numerous modalities, such as theft by computer means and abusive access to systems, continue to concentrate the majority of cases. On the other hand, behaviors that until now had less participation, such as non-consensual transfers of assets and data interception, show much faster increases.
Justice Editorial
Justicia@eltiempo.com
