What are Internet Crimes?
The Internet is a playground for all facets of the human psyche. The best and the worst, the humane and the vile are all displayed online. The safety and anonymity of the Internet provides the perfect cover for deviants, criminals and extremists to strut their stuff. Internet crime takes many forms, from investment scams to so-called "phishing." A very high percent of Americans (77.3) use the Internet as of June 2010. (1) Users must protect themselves from nefarious individuals and groups. A computer connected to the Internet can be used as a weapon, an accessory or a target for attacking other computers.
All information provided for reference purposes only, contact an experienced Vineland Criminal Law firm for additional details.
Detecting Internet Crime
Due to the nature of the Internet, identifying criminal activities online is notoriously difficult. Anonymity makes hiding from the authorities easy. The state of cyber crime has advanced to the point where global financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) become victims of cyber attacks. The IMF attack has been described as "sophisticated and serious" according to unnamed officials. (2)
Most Internet criminals are not as brazen as these political hackers or "hacktivists." Internet crime involves people who want to hide; they do not go after large targets to make a statement. Internet crime is most often financial, involving online Ponzi schemes or stealing customer information from credit card companies or brokerage firms.
Types Of Internet Crimes
A common type of Internet crime is known as "phishing", which rose 62 percent from 2008 to 2009, according to MarkMonitor. (3) This crime is the online version of good old-fashioned fraud. Con men and thieves use phishing to steal sensitive customer information. Once the criminals steal enough information, they use it to steal money from credit card and bank accounts. The total amount stolen in this way can end up in the millions of dollars.
Phishing works by sending out emails that appear to come from reputable companies like American Express or Bank of America. A user falls victim by clicking on a link and filling in their personal information. The email is usually written and structured in such a way as to convey a sense of urgency. Phishing is notorious because of how cleverly these emails are written. A more sophisticated technique is to redirect a user from a legitimate website to a fraudulent website without the user's awareness.
Internet criminals also make use of malicious software. Trojan horses are innocuous-looking programs that actually damage a computer. Worms are self-replicating programs that are designed to take over entire networks. Spyware and adware steal personal information and display unwanted ads. Finally, malware outright harms the computer with no discernible goal.
All information provided for reference purposes only, contact an experienced Vineland Criminal Law firm for additional details.
Detecting Internet Crime
Due to the nature of the Internet, identifying criminal activities online is notoriously difficult. Anonymity makes hiding from the authorities easy. The state of cyber crime has advanced to the point where global financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) become victims of cyber attacks. The IMF attack has been described as "sophisticated and serious" according to unnamed officials. (2)
Most Internet criminals are not as brazen as these political hackers or "hacktivists." Internet crime involves people who want to hide; they do not go after large targets to make a statement. Internet crime is most often financial, involving online Ponzi schemes or stealing customer information from credit card companies or brokerage firms.
Types Of Internet Crimes
A common type of Internet crime is known as "phishing", which rose 62 percent from 2008 to 2009, according to MarkMonitor. (3) This crime is the online version of good old-fashioned fraud. Con men and thieves use phishing to steal sensitive customer information. Once the criminals steal enough information, they use it to steal money from credit card and bank accounts. The total amount stolen in this way can end up in the millions of dollars.
Phishing works by sending out emails that appear to come from reputable companies like American Express or Bank of America. A user falls victim by clicking on a link and filling in their personal information. The email is usually written and structured in such a way as to convey a sense of urgency. Phishing is notorious because of how cleverly these emails are written. A more sophisticated technique is to redirect a user from a legitimate website to a fraudulent website without the user's awareness.
Internet criminals also make use of malicious software. Trojan horses are innocuous-looking programs that actually damage a computer. Worms are self-replicating programs that are designed to take over entire networks. Spyware and adware steal personal information and display unwanted ads. Finally, malware outright harms the computer with no discernible goal.