Cyber Crime 2

The Criminal Justice Response to Cyberstalking

1. After California passed legislation in the early 1990s to criminalize stalking, federal lawmakers recognized that the behavior needed to be better defined by statutes around the country. a. Was modified in 1996 to include criminal statutes prohibiting stalking. b. Amended in 2000 and specifically addressed harassment and stalking that takes place via electronic communications such as e-mails and other electronic messages. As of December 2009, there were 47 states to pass such legislation, recognizing that new and improved statutes would allow for easier investigation and prosecution of cyberstalking cases.

Mail-Order Bride Agency Fraud

1. Several types of agency mail-order fraud are possible. a. The first form involves fraudulent credit card transactions. i. Being charged for services not requested. ii. Being charged for canceled subscriptions. b. The agency providing customers with false contact information.

Mail-Order Bride Fraud

1. There are several types of mail-order bride fraud. a. Women obtaining money from men to visit, and communication stops. b. Men being tricked repeatedly out of their money. c. Men pretending to be women to solicit money from unsuspecting men.

Nigerian 419 Schemes—Fraud Schemes Based on Greed

A.Focuses on a person's desire to make easy money. A.This form of fraud involves a victim receiving a letter or e-mail (mostly e-mails as we will discuss) in which the sender will claim to have gained access to a large sum of money. A.For the victim's help (money), the sender will promise a significant portion of the money. A.These scam operations operate on the belief that the people contacted will be willing to take a risk when there is even a slight possibility that they can make a large sum of money with minimal work.

Phishing—Seeking Out Passwords and Financial Information

A.Phishing refers to fraudulent messages or Internet pop-up screens that attempt to obtain a user's Internet passwords, usernames, bank account information, etc. •Over the last several years there has been a push for federal legislation concerning phishing, but the legislation has thus far been unsuccessful in receiving enough support to be passed; several states have criminalized phishing.

4. The Pornography Phase

Around the same time that the child and the pedophile begin engaging in physical interaction, the pedophile may begin introducing pornography into the grooming process. Pornography may often be used as a means of convincing the child that sexual behavior is an acceptable manner of expressing feelings.A pattern of grooming a child through the use of pornography could appear as follows: First, images showing children merely standing around in various stages of undress Next, images of nude children touching each other Final, images of children having sexual intercourse with an adult

How do online auctions work?

Auction fraud occurs when the consumer has paid for the merchandise but does not receive the materials.

Cyberstalking

Cyberstalking refers to a process in which electronic communications, such as e-mails, instant messages and any other form of electronic communications, contain psychologically threatening remarks that harass a recipient or causes a victim to fear for his or her life. While a person of any age can be a victim of stalking, college-age individuals are considered more likely to become a victim.

Pedophilia

E. This perceived desire to develop a relationship with a child has come to be known as pedophilia, defined as the attraction of an adult toward the affections of a child. F. Normally, the attraction of a pedophile consists of nonviolent sexual contact with a child. Such contact would include genital viewing or fondling, oral-genital contact, penetration, and other forms of sexual contact. the most common victimization of children around the world. H. The increasing desire to view and engage children in sexual relationships has led some individuals to begin manufacturing and distributing child pornography. 1960s and 1970s: European countries were the mass producers L. There is currently some ongoing debate about whether the possession of child pornography should be criminalized.

The Grooming Process

Grooming refers to a process whereby a pedophile will attempt to prepare a child for a future physical relationship by breaking down any barriers they may have to such a relationship A.Once a victim is picked, the pedophile begins a process designed to gain that child's trust. A.During the course of this process these individuals are in essence breaking down the child's defenses and then manipulating the child in such a manner that the child may feel that a physical relationship with an adult is an acceptable form of relationship.

Child Pornography and the Internet

Internet greatly influenced the problem of child pornography Obtaining materials became infinitely easier Controlling child pornography became more difficult Certain populations, such as prison populations, have easier access to materials

How Cyberstalkers Operate

Once the electronic contact information is obtained, then the stalker may begin one of serious actions that result in the harassment of the victim. Three of the more commonly employed tactics involve e-mail bombs, forgery of messages, and the posting of harassing messages online.

Online Harassment

The sending of repeated threatening or harassing electronic communications, via e-mail, websites, or other digital medium, that causes another individual to be harmed or deeply disturbed. Harassment does not involve receiving one bothersome message: messages must be repeated and must cause the recipient discomfort or harm. Examples of online harassment: unsolicited emails or text messages containing information about yourself or someone you know, inappropriate postings on Internet websites, and repeated, unsolicited chat messages. Online harassment must be distinguished from spam.An important change in the realm of online harassment is the development of social networking sites and anonymous gossip sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Instagram. Cyberbullying is a form of online harassment that has gained the interest of academics and educators alike, as more emphasis has been placed on understanding the phenomenon of bullying. According to the Cyberbullying Research Center, cyberbullying could be defined as intentional and repeated harm inflicted upon another by use of a computer, cellular telephone, or other electronic device (i.e. a social networking site).

3. Physical Contract Phase

a. After the pedophile is secure in their belief that the relationship will be kept secret, then the pedophile may attempt to determine the level of emotional bond developed between the two. b. Physical contact may begin if the pedophile determines that the bond is significant. c. The first of these contacts will be minor, often involving light touching or rubbing. Child might not think this contact is negative or inappropriate. Many pedophiles may attempt to represent these first touches as accidental. d. Once the physical contact begins, then it is only a matter of time until the child becomes susceptible to a more advanced and physical contact such as sexual activity. e. This stage is often circumvented when dealing with grooming that takes place via electronic communications such as social networking sites or instant messaging programs.

Friendship Phase of grooming

a. An attempt by the pedophile to foster a form of pseudo-friendship with a potential child victim. b. Child victims may be selected from a variety of areas, but schools, shopping malls, and playgrounds have been historically popular places of recruitment. The advent of content-based Internet chat rooms and online social networking sites have created additional areas that pedophiles may utilize to locate potential child victims. c. Child victims will often come from homes in which the child believes that he or she is either not loved or not given adequate attention. d. Pedophiles will often attempt to convince the child that he or she is respected by the pedophile, thereby convincing the child victim that he or she is loved and understood.

Recommendations available from eBay

a. Attempt to persuade the seller to send the merchandise or a refund. i. Contact seller using e-mail or telephone number. ii. After 14 days, three approaches can be employed if problem is not solved: third-party dispute resolution, special protections offered by credit card companies, contacting shipping company. b. Notify eBay. c. File a protection claim. d. Notify law enforcement.

Problems with online prostitution/escorts

a. Several websites will take credit card information and never provide a return service. b. The clients have been robbed when they return from the shower and their wallets, car keys, and/or clothes are missing. c. An individual may schedule a date with one of these women on the basis of their website, only to discover when the woman arrives that she is not who she appeared to be on the Internet.

Online Auction Fraud

have combined the availability of the Internet with the very nature of consumers to spend as little money as possible

Online Fraud includes

•1. Online auction fraud—refers to fraudulent sales or purchases from Internet auction sites. •2. Purchasing of wives and prostitutes—involves the fraudulent activities of mail-order bride and escort services. •3. Nigerian 419 schemes—refers to a fraudulent activity whereby an individual claiming to be from a foreign country will promise a victim large sums of money for assisting them in secretly moving large sums of money. •4. Phishing schemes—fraudulent messages whereby a victim is asked to provide financial information and/or online banking passwords.

Problems with online prostitution/escorts cont.

•Many of the law enforcement investigations into online prostitution involve having officers go online and make "dates" with the escorts. a. Occasionally, an escort may be operating from outside the jurisdiction of an agency, in which case the agency will: •i. Contact a law enforcement agency within the jurisdiction of the escort's operation. •ii. Inquire as to whether the escort is a "circuit girl," who travels around following large-scale sporting events or national events.

Traditionally, the grooming process was used in the sexual seduction of children

•There have been some reports of pedophiles modifying their approach and grooming parents before grooming the child. •a. The gaining of the child's trust may be expedited if the parents believe that the pedophile has a genuine interest in the well-being of the child.

2. The Secrecy Phase

•a. With a growing sense of trust developing between the child and the pedophile, the child may then be convinced by the pedophile that the relationship must be kept secret. Approaches utilized: • i. Convincing the child that his or her parents would be upset if they knew the child was having so much fun with a nonparent. •ii. Convince the child that his or her parents would not approve and would end their friendship. •iii. Providing the child with gifts, then attempting to convince the child that the parent would be upset or jealous that the child was receiving gifts. •iv. Convince the child that the relationship must remain secret because if anyone found out people could get hurt—possibly the child or the child's parents.