Running Head: Cyber Crimes

Cyber Crimes

The available and accessible features of 21 st century make it hard for any individual to think

about a life without technology. In real, the world has crossed several stages and eras devoid of
the cyber world. Despite this truth, imagining life without technology is a difficult task today.

This is because communication between countries of the two opposite poles has now become

easy; it’s merely like being in touch with the next door neighbor. The cyber world and the age of

technology revolve around the idea of connecting with the world, inventions and scientific

advancement. Although, a life without technology would be a nightmare because of the benefits

it has brought to the world, the negative consequences attached with it actually make life more

difficult.

The cyber world is an example of the technological progress. It is all about the virtual world

where at many places, computer have replaced human labor. It has made the world computerized

as it is being used from places like hospital to monitor patients to universities for their entry tests

and grading policies. Similarly, it is not a way to gain access to the worldwide happenings and

interact with people on the other end of the globe, but it has given mankind freedom to raise their

voice, establish business relationships and regulate systems.

The cyber world is a distinctive feature of the modern world where it marks the progress and

development of human race. Computers have brought a revolution. This is because of the

transformations it has brought in the lives of every individual as it is seen to dictate and benefit

the several different aspects of human life. The cyber world is seen to govern the corporate,

government, military, scientific and every other sector of the society. Hence, it has become the

need of time. This need is merely attributed to the achievements of technology; the quick pace,

ease and ability to make things happen with a single click.

As a matter of fact, mentioning the advantages that technology and computers have brought for

the world, would require closer analysis of each and every corner of the globe and consequently
become a tedious job. This is because of the impact that the cyber world has made on the lives of

every individuals ranging from scientists to businessman, from doctors to a student. Despite

these attributes that are closely associated with technology and computers, the apparently

flawless cyber world comes with a number of eye opening and dangerous disadvantages. In this

regard, basic facts such as the hazards of a nuclear bomb, X-ray and microwave ovens is no

longer an alien concept for anyone. For this reason, this paper would rather lay greater emphasis

on the cyber and technology crimes which is amongst one of the most dangerous discrepancy of

the cyber world.

Cyber crime or computer related crime can be understood in three different ways; targeting or

attacking a computer, considering computer as a weapon to commit a crime such as fraud or any

other illegal activity and using computer to store information that is illegal or/and stolen. These

crimes are always associated with the cyber world. This paper would look into some of the

serious effects of the cyber and technology crime.

Internet Scam

Internet scam and fraud is one of the most popular consequences of the cyber world. Cyber crime

is gradually becoming a social problem as it is targeting the masses. This is seen by the impact of

internet advertising and how people are being fooled because of it. The boom of internet has

opened a gateway for the scam artists who are using it for bogus promotions, lotteries and other

opportunistic schemes which rather appear to be deceptive. The consumers are fooled through

these scams and are often seen to share their financial details over the internet. As a result, these

people often lose huge amount of money simply on the basis of attractive and affordable

advertisements.
Research: Theories and Statistics

Internet scam is common feature of the World Wide Web. Its basic aim is to collect money from

the world. According to Holmes (2006), the basis of internet fraud was laid in 2005 where the

consumers were seen to lose almost $14 million. This information was verified by the National

Fraud information system. Internet scam is seen to spread via email threads where sellers not

only email consumers to sell their products but people are often exploited on the basis of lottery

seams. Upon receiving such emails, individuals often inquire at the given number where they are

then asked to wire certain amount.

According to the Internet Crime Complaint Center's, there was an increase of approximately 33%

in internet fraud complaints over a period of one year; i.e. from 2007 to 2008. Amongst these,

the greatest share of complaints was in the category of non delivery (32.9%) followed by auction

fraud (25.5%) and the debit/credit card fraud (9%). Furthermore, the average loss per complaint

also varied from one type to the other. For instance, the average amount lost over the complaint

of check fraud accounted for the highest number ($3000) whereas the Nigerian fraud letter

contributed to a loss of $1,650. These statistics obtained by IC3 also point out at the increase in

the amount being lost because of internet fraud every year thereby focusing upon how big the

problem is (Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2011).

Despite the fact that all internet scams and frauds have a similar motive; to earn money, there are

a number of ways to achieve this. Apart from the above mentioned ways, Murray (2004) also

points out a number of ways in which the public can be fooled. He talks about the flashy

websites and attractive emails which often reveal fake opportunities for individuals. The online

investment scam is popular where the businessman and stockbrokers find a way to earn millions.
In this way, these people gain access to several investors who ultimately end up raising the stock

prices. The promoters who are behind these online investment scams are either the shareowners

or the ones who are getting huge bonuses for these schemes. Similarly, in addition to the variety

of scams, the 419 scam is regarded as one of the most popular scams of all times. This scam talks

about a huge amount of fake money and is commonly referred as the inheritance and the lottery

scam. The reality of this scam revolves around a death of rich man. Following the death, the

scammer pretends to be a kin of the deceased. This makes him eligible to have a share of the

inherited amount. Consequently, he demands a money transfer. This automatically paves a route

to earn the initial legal fees. Upon receiving the money, the scammer vanishes leaving the

rightful owners bare-handed.

Hence, the speed, ease and the accessibility of the internet enables the stock prices to go up by 4

to 8 times. In this way, trapping people and making them invest even a small amount would end

up in great profits for people involved in this.

In a similar manner, another example of internet scam as proposed by Holmes (2006) is ransom

ware. This is a new technique of seaming whereby which the stammers take control of any

computer by hacking it. In this way, they encrypt the computer system and then ask for a ransom

amount in order to give the victim the decryption key.

In real, every man has the likely chance of being a victim of the seam. In theory, the description

of the different types of internet scams and frauds make the crime appear to be simple and a

matter of little concern. However, in actual it leaves a dangerous and disruptive mark of loss on

the lives of people who have been victimized. Therefore, the cyber world is not only a place to

be benefitted from. It comes with a number of hazards and disastrous results which can neither
be negated nor ignored. Thus, internet fraud and internet scam is all because of the cyber crime.

These scams are regulated via the internet in a number of different forms; all through attractive

and revealing message threads. Their ultimate aim is to fool the individuals by utilizing the fast

pace and the distinctive features of the technological world to earn a big amount.

Identity Theft

Like internet fraud, identity theft is also the result of cyber crimes. Identity theft accounts for one

of the fastest growing crimes in America as stated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the

National Crime Prevention Council and several such agencies (Kimball V, 2007). The researcher

expresses the issue of identity theft by saying that, “Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in

America, occurring when the criminal obtains confidential information from an individual or

business and uses it to access private financial accounts. In today’s world of information

technology, many thieves prey on their victims via the Internet. The level of disclosure of

personal information in many of today’s information age transactions is what leaves so many

individuals and businesses open to identity theft” (Kimball V, 2007).

Identity theft is basically all about gaining access of the personal and the confidential

information about individuals and companies which is then used to open bank accounts, to get

control over the finances, to pay utilities and set up several systems all in the name of the another

individual or a company. Identity theft is a negative consequence of the cyber world which is

automatically becoming a wide social problem. Identity theft is becoming easier because of the

technological boom. In other words, the use of credit cards, ATMs and other online purchases

are a key to the disclosure of personal information. Kimball (2007) also proposes almost 10

million such cases who have become a victim of identity theft in 2005 in U.S.
Research: Theories and Statistics

In a similar manner, on the perspective of identity theft, cyber crime is also associated with

phishing. This is the way in which personal information which comes under the control of the

spammer who with the help of bulk emails tend to persuade individuals to give out their personal

details. This process is faster than the usual scam emails. It takes approximately 14 hours to get

hold of the personal information. For this reason, phishing is a serious criminal activity and a

social problem because of the number of hazards which are attached to it (Mindlin, 2005). In

real, the personal information can be gained in a number of ways; by imitating or taking up the

identity of a well known company and circulating emails from that specific name, or simply via

the spoofed websites.

In addition to the usage of this information for personal gains and financial benefits, such details

are often sold. This again adds into the risk for the users of the cyber world. Despite the efforts

put in to enforce laws and other regulations to control such criminal activities, phishing cannot

be stopped. The personal information obtained through different means is sold on the internet

which attracts several buyers like companies, traders and more. Moreover, the traders are

eventually rated on the quality of the stolen information. The cycle keeps on proceeding when

the buyers continue to send such malicious emails to these individuals (Zeller, 2005).

Furthermore, pharming is an extension to the concept of phishing where the computers are

secretly installed with a malicious virus or software. Consequently, a website might appear to be

legitimate but would actually be bogus. The user would enter his personal details on this website

considering it to be authentic. In this way, his information would strike the hands of the

scammer. Hence, phishing and pharming are a serious threat to the masses and is eventually
growing and enlarging as a social problem. These procedures of identity theft taking place

because of the cyber crimes automatically forces the executives to look into the ways to protect

their company and the privacy of their employees. It exposes them to the dangers associated with

the use of the internet. Consequently, failing to enact the proper required security measures

would actually make their companies to run out of the business (Mitchell, 2005). Cyber crime

automatically infects the setups of big organizations. Not only this, the company might also lose

customers because of the hazards of the cyber world. This is because if customers find it unsafe

to use the internet, they will automatically spend less on the products that they used to purchase

online. Furthermore, the threat to the security of their personal information would also make

them minimize the use of the internet. If the security issue of a business is publicized, it will

automatically lose its customer risking the growth and progress of the company (Mitchell, 2005).

As a matter of fact, the internet is a gateway to a revolutionized world where communication is

at peak. The cyber world has automatically reduced the distance created by time and space. In

other words, forming online relationships and then becoming a victim of this socialization, is an

ugly truth of the cyber world. In this regard, another common by product of cyber crimes is

cyber abuse. This is seen to exist in a number of forms like cyber bullying, stalking, sexual

abuse, pornography and more. Research suggests that the greatest victim of this crime is the

youth. Studies show the increase in the number of cases victimized because of cyber stalking

from 6% seen in 2000 to 9% in 2005. Amongst them, the most vulnerable age group is that of the

youth. This is verified by the substantial percentage of approximately 34% who were found to

have reported to become subject to involuntary online sexual abuse Experience of cyber stalking

increased, to 9% of youths in 2005 from 6% in 2000 (Wolak et al., 2006). This is a sensitive

matter which needs direct attention of the law enforcers in order to secure the youth.
Cyber Bullying

Cyber bullying in common language is understood as a voluntary action to harm another person

via the use of electronic communication; either through a computer or a cell phone. It is a result

of cyber crime and has serious consequences attached with it. Cyber bullying is a form of

harassment which is either in the form of physical abuse, or can also be done via the use of

forums and public platforms.

Research: Theories and Statistics

Despite the number of ways through which it is implemented, it comes with many psychological

and physical threats for everyone; especially the youth. According to Hinduja S. (2005), cyber

bullying is a source of stress and tension for the victims who often go astray and take the deviant

path as a coping strategy. Moreover, children would also feel threatened offline because of the

harassment they are facing online. In this way, they would not only be pre occupied with the

tension but would also take preventive measures in order to keep away from whatever they are

experiencing. This would automatically negatively impact their academic performance,

relationships and their behavior in different aspects. Hence, cyber bullying has far reaching

damaging consequences which can ruin the complete personality of the victim.

The treacherous impact of cyber bullying can be assessed by the facts stated by researchers. In this

regard, Lepkowska (2007) brings in notice the increase in female victimization that can be completely

attributed to cyber bullying. He says that an increase from 14.5% in 2002 to approximately 20.6% in

2006 is seen to exist. Cyber bullying is considered as one of the most famous ways to intimidate and

threaten people where individuals especially teenagers and children who have been the victim are

frequently seen with the symptoms of fright, sleeping and eating difficulties. Moreover, cyber bullying
also results in individuals being socially withdrawn and engaging in several deviant behaviors. This is

usually done via MSN Messenger, the social networking websites, and other areas of the cyber world.

Hence, these results and behavioral damage show the extent to which this result of cyber crime is

harmful for the society.

Intelligence, scrutiny and precaution are some of the ways that every individual must possess and

thereby implement in the cyber world in order to be safe from the disruptive effect of the cyber

and technology crimes.

The foremost way to be secure from internet scam and fraud is to realize the reality of the virtual

world and understand the rule that the cyber world contains people who are not what they

actually seem to be. Their motives and goals can neither be easily distinguished nor guessed. In

every such situation, individuals must be cautious in order to save themselves from risking their

money, health and thus the complete self. It is important to be aware of the ways in which cyber

crimes pervade over the internet. For this reason, people are required not to reply to the junk or

bulk emails and never share their personal and financial information over the internet. In a

similar manner, everyone must not judge or be intrigued by the flashy opportunities of a website

or an email thread. A person must be educated regarding these safety measures so that he deals

with such scams in a smart manner. In addition to the list of precautions essential for every man

to incorporate in the use of the cyber world, elders including the teachers and parents must

educate their children about the ways in which they can become a victim of cyber crime. They

must be strictly and openly told about the hazards attached with disclosing personal details and

getting into sexual activities over the internet. Close surveillance at the part of the elders is also

necessary in order to secure the child from the faults of the cyber world.
Hence, the above mentioned problems are only some of the cyber crimes. In other words, the

cyber world is full of danger and risks. As a result, it is not only a symbol of progress and

development of a society but it threatens people at large. In this way, it grows to become a social

dilemma. Hence, while examining the progress of cyber crimes, it is important to lay great

emphasis as to who is accountable in resolving this issue and the harm it causes. One measure

that could control the consequences of cyber crimes such as phishing and pharming could be the

role of the companies themselves who might be a victim of the cyber world. The company

should rely on its own security measures and must be itself responsible for paying off the losses

that would have occurred. In addition, the company would itself be responsible and would

acquire all the monetary losses in case if it is sued because of failing to secure the system and its

privacy (Yang D. 2006).

Another measure that can be taken to counter the act of phising and pharming is one taken up by

the banks. The corporate sector is at a high risk to get affected by the cyber crimes. This is noted

in the following words: “Not surprisingly, the most spoofed sites are in the financial sector, with

92 percent of recorded phishing and pharming attempts targeting banks and other financial

institutions” (Malone 2006). For this reason, business organizations must incorporate strict

preventive measures to safeguard their privacy. One way to do it is the idea of frequently

updating or changing their domain names. In a similar manner, they can also implement the

method of declining the authorization by verifying a card; the card verification value and also the

card verification code. In this way, any doubt or suspicion regarding the use of the card can

automatically block it for a temporary time period (Garrett, 2005). This will be of a great benefit

for the customer and autmotically for the bank who would succeed in safeguarding not only the

personal details of the customer but also maintiian his financial status.
Apart from the counter measures being taken by the companies and other institutions, consumer

awareness regarding the hazards of the cyber world is also necessary. For this purpose, a

preventive step taken by the Bank of America is eye opening for other institutes. This is because

of the fact that it used the SiteKey which enables the customers to distinguish whether they are

on the actual, legitimate website or not. In addition, the bank has also implemented the use of

digital image system where the customer is required to choose his respective personal image that

appears everytime he logs onto the website. The absence of the image would tell him that it is a

fake website. In this way, his personal information would be secured and he would be protected

from the evils of phishing and pharming (Hicks, 2005).

The above effect of the cyber world show how threatening the internet is. In real, the youth is the

most vulnerable to these threats. For this reason, a number of steps are required to be

implemented and parents, teachers and guardians can help protect children from becoming a

victim of the cyber crimes. According to Miller (2005) some basic steps can help provide cyber

safety. These include changing the default security settings, setting up a frewall system,

installing anti-virus Software and other such measures which would definitely protect the child

from being a victim (Miller, 2005).

Furthermore, the results generated from the Youth Internet Saftey survey shows improvement in

the trends of victimization. This is a positive step towards resolving the problem rising from the

cyber world. Regulating prevention messages have produced drastic results whereby which the

youth has minimized their online interaction with strangers. As a result, they receive lesser

number of unwanted sexual solicitations (Mitchell K, 2006).

Another important step toward the cyber safety of the youth is making them aware about the

sexual activities that take place via the internet. This topic should be dealt maturely and frankly

where the youth must be made aware of the risks associated with getting involved into sexual

activities over the internet and accessing X-rated websites. They must also be informed about the

hazards of having sex chat with strangers and going against the law. This would harm their

sexual development and their concept of sexual activities (Carnes, 2003).

Apart from the basic steps of taking preventive measures and spreading awareness, law

enforcement plays a significant role in resolving the social problems which exist because of the

cyber crimes. In this regard, the government has an important role to play. For instance, the

approach adopted by the Australian law is satisfactory. Apart from formulating a proper

Cybercrime Act, it incorporates strategiac partnership between police and the industry to work

together to combat cyber crime. Similarly, the law also focuses on educating the masses

regarding the crimes occurring and the way to resolve them. The Australian Government is

continuously working on broadening its capacity to deal with the cyber crime. Some of the ways

of doing this is by establishing a system known as Crimtrac which aims at maintaining databases

such as the fingerprint identification system (Clark E. 2010).

Despite the common belief about the negligence in enforcing the law, solving the cyber crimes

are successfully taking place. This is evident from the efforts of Internet Crime Complaint Center

(IC3) which aims at punishing the offenders. The work of IC3 and the law enforcement agencies

is clear through their approach to solve the social problems associated with cyber crimes. One

such example is of wire transfer fraud. Almost 1000 complaints regarding the loss of $3 million

were reported. The IC3 look into the matter and the state scrutinized more than 100 surveillence
cameras. Although the case is still in process, the efforts put in by the state and the IC3 could not

be ignored. (Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2011)

Hence, there is a dire need to properly and completely enact the laws which aim at putting an end

to the cyber crimes. The major fault lies in the fact that these laws aren’t always properly

enforced; many times because of the limited jurisdiction. Despite this difficulty, efforts are being

continuously put in. As a result, in all such cases it is the repsonsibilty of the indivudals and the

organizations to immediately notify about any attacks as this is amongst the easiest ways to

control cyber crimes (Britt, 2005).

There was a time when several kilometers were covered in months, when manual labor was the

only option to complete tasks and when communicating with friends across borders was a

nightmare. It was an era where time was slow and every job required human labor. Gradually,

such prolonged circumstances changed and took a new form. This transformation could

completely be accredited to technology and the scientific advancement which marks the progress

of the modern era where the world currently stands. The advent of technology and thereby the

growth of the cyber world has eventually become the distinguishing characteristic of the current

age where every second is another towards development and progress.

The age of technology and the cyber world comes with a long list of advantages that have

attracted the complete population of the world. This can be seen by the desire to access

computers and use cell phones. The cyber world is attractive because of its fast pace, easy-to-use

interface and the interactive platform that it has set up for everyone. Computer being the essence

of technology has become the most important unit of every institute and is often seen to govern

the life of almost every individual. It has made communication, business and relationship to be at
ease. It has laid a platform of the freedom and awareness for the mankind. Despite these benefits,

the cyber world has a dark side which is no longer hidden from anyone. However, it is only the

smart, cautious, educated and intelligent man who saves himself from this faulty face.

In this regard, this paper examines the effects of cyber crimes and the manner in which they

grow to become a social problem. If these problems are left unaddressed, the world will continue

to suffer at a higher rate than before. Internet fraud, cyber bullying, pornography, identity theft

are some of the cyber crimes that have been focused in this paper. In real, the cyber world is full

of hazards that negatively impact the society. This is because of the fact that it leaves a disastrous

mark on the financial situation, psychological condition and the overall well being of a person

who unfortunately becomes a victim of these crimes.

Hence, in order to reduce and control the cyber crimes, strict laws must be implemented by the

government and other law enforcing societies. Apart from these measures being taken at the

upper level, individuals must be aware of the risk that the cyber world poses. Since the youth is

more prone to become affected by these crimes, it is important to educate them regarding the

possible risks that are existent while they use the internet. Thus, it is not only the duty of the

state, the society and the elders to protect people around them, but it is the responsibility of every

individual to secure himself from the hazards of the cyber world. In this manner, they can have

the maximum benefit from the cyber world without being a victim of the cyber crimes that go

hand in hand with it.

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