NCJ Number
177460
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 26 Issue: 4 Dated: April 1999 Pages: 24-29
Date Published
1999
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article identifies types of computer-related crime, the difficulties such crime poses for law enforcement, and ways in which computer crime can be countered.
Abstract
Computer technology has not only facilitated the speed and ease of business transactions, personal communications, and information sharing at lower costs, but it has enabled criminals with sophisticated computer knowledge to tap into these legitimate uses of computer technology and victimize computer users. The criminal abuse of computer technology includes fraud and theft, whereby criminals deceive and entice Internet users to give money for nonexistent products and services. Some criminals also know how to manipulate the computerized records of financial institutions to transfer money to their own accounts. Further, the Internet enables deceptive and manipulative pedophiles to communicate with potential young victims in "chat rooms," luring them into face-to-face contact for possible sexual abuse. The Internet is also a suitable medium for transmitting child pornography among pedophiles. Computer-related crime or "cyber crime" is a challenge for law enforcement. In most cases, individual law enforcement agencies do not have the time, personnel, or equipment to proactively detect computer-related crime. Even when victims report crimes committed through computer transmissions, the police cannot determine the location nor the identify of the offender. The most promising approach is for a number of law enforcement agencies to combine expertise and resources in creating task forces to focus on computer-related crime. Such a task force would be composed of highly trained personnel who have the time and equipment to focus effectively on the detection and prevention of cyber crime.