Home Types of Computer Crimes

Types of Computer Crimes

Facts on Offensive or Obscene Content

Facts on Offensive or Obscene Content

The status of obscenity laws as society begins to operate at an increasing rate on the Internet presents an interesting debate as Internet crime law struggles to incorporate different standards from the world over. An item which violates obscenity laws even in the laws of one State in the United States of America may not rise to the level of violating obscenity in one of the other parts of the United States of America. This is to say nothing of the difficulty in adapting Internet crime laws to incorporate obscenity laws which had adapted from a variety of international cultural norms.
Before even considering whether or not obscenity laws have been in violation of Internet crime standards, it is possible to compare the differing obscenity laws which govern both traditional print media, as well as broadcast standards applied to other broadcast mediums, such as television and radio.
Obscenity laws in many European countries are less restrictive about the display of nudity on television, while the obscenity laws in the United States are extremely inflexible about nudity, or even partial exposure, on television. Internet crime standards have great strides that must be made until Internet crime standards can even consider adapting widely-accepted obscenity laws.
Obscenity laws, however, do not apply exclusively to sensational images, or the depiction of nudity, despite the understanding of obscenity as being primarily concerned with sexually concerned issues. Obscenity laws may also refer to literature which is intended to provoke a response. Obviously, what is inflammatory language in one country will be considered far from rising to the same standard in another culture.
In recent years, one of the primary countries in which obscenity law is applied to language and is concerned with inflammatory statements is in the country of China. The Chinese obscenity laws are sometimes referred to as censorship by observers in other countries, countries which have a greater degree of freedom of the press. Internet crime commentators have pointed out that the stringent censorship through obscenity laws in China was a primary motivation behind Google’s decision to withdraw from the developing Chinese market since, after filtering searches of the Internet, crime could be considered having been committed by Google if it did not strictly adhere to Chinese obscenity laws.
It is difficult to apply the standard of obscenity laws developed by the United States in the 1964 Supreme Court decision in Jacobellis v. Ohio, when Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart said that it was difficult to define exactly what obscenity laws should ban, but that it was possible to know and identify obscenity when it is encountered. However, since obscenity laws are written to account for the particular standards of the community in which they are found, it is difficult if not impossible for Internet crime standards to develop a set of obscenity laws that could be widely agreed upon by all of the users of the Internet.

How Is Fraud Committed Online?

How Is Fraud Committed Online?

Computer fraud is a common type of computer crime and it can be executed in many different ways. Computer fraud (also known as internet fraud) is often committed when a criminal hacks into an account to gain access to information that they would normally not have permission to obtain. Internet fraud is often used to deceive a third party through use of the internet in order to achieve financial gain. As far as financial gain is concerned, the criminal may hack into another person's bank account, credit card account, or even steal information in order to obtain a loan.

However, fraud can also be used as a way to commit sabotage against an individual or a place of business. In some cases, the criminal has a personal vendetta against an individual(s) or place of business, the hacker will gain access into an account to create chaos and harm to the victim. The harmful spread of false e-mails could also be considered a form of fraud.

Many times, computer fraud/internet fraud is closely related to identity fraud, in that both of these methods involve illegally obtaining information via the internet and using it to deceive others. However, identity theft is more specific in that it actually includes an individual posing as another person or entity in order to achieve some sort of personal agenda. Identity theft can be considered a form of computer fraud and it is usually used as means to gain materials or finances. Legal action might take place with the assistance of a fraud lawyer.

Although a common crime, forms of computer fraud can be avoided. One step that can be taken against falling victim to internet fraud is to refrain from liberally giving out personal information, especially on the computer. This will decrease your chances of a hacker accessing personal accounts.

Another step that can be taken to lessen the chances of such occurrences would be the process of choosing effective usernames and/or passwords. User names and/or passwords should not contain any commonly known facts about the potential victim. Instead, they should be something more abstract and harder to guess. Unfortunately, in many cases, internet fraud victims are actually taken advantage of by someone that is close to them and that knows personal facts. It is vital to avoid using birthdays, social security numbers, etc., within your username and/or password.

What Sort of Harassment Can Happen Online?

What Sort of Harassment Can Happen Online?

Due to the accessibility of information found on the Internet, Internet harassment is unfortunately becoming a common crime. Internet harassment can occur in many ways. Forms of Internet harassment tend to include a series of unwanted e-mails, messages, photos, videos, or anything done on the Internet that could bring harm to the harasser's victim.
 
 
Many times the harassment can start on the Internet and progress into a physical stalking case. Harassers and/or stalkers can easily obtain personal information about their victim by way of the Internet in order to locate or have contact with them.
 
 
Harassment can often be linked to criminals that commit cyberstalking. This often occurs when the stalker begins to have an infatuation with an individual(s) in either a positive or negative manner. That infatuation causes them to be too persistent in their efforts of harassing them, while using the Internet as a tool to do so.
 
 
Cases involving cyberstalking have progressed into serious criminal offenses. For example, in 1999 one of the country’s first cyberstalking laws went into effect when five women were murdered as a result of cyberstalking. Other states began to follow suit and also activated harassment laws that prohibit stalking and harassment on the Internet.
 
 
As more victims of Internet harassment come forward, laws are put into effect to protect victims and/or potential victims of Internet harassment. The harassment law tends to vary from State to State and there is currently not an existing Federal harassment law for people experiencing Internet harassment who are over the age of sixteen (a Federal harassment law is in place for minors under the age of sixteen).
 
 
However, there are ways to avoid becoming a victim of Internet harassment. One of the first and most obvious steps that can be taken is to not give your personal information out too freely. Avoid listing your personal e-mail address, phone number, home address, etc., on any Internet sites. Also, keep away from anything that may be deemed as "suggestive" or drawing too much attention to oneself.
 
 
If anyone contacts you and it can be considered a form of Internet harassment, do whatever can be done in order to block them and report them to your Internet service provider immediately. If the harassment progresses, find out your State's particular harassment law under your local judicial branch and/or courthouse.

The Facts on Trafficking Drugs

The Facts on Trafficking Drugs

The illegal selling and trafficking of drugs online is one of many computer crimes currently being committed. Everyone has received spam e-mail regarding prescription drugs online. This is an example of the illegal sale of narcotics online and it falls into the category of serious computer crimes. But where do the drugs which are available as drugs online come from?
Many sources show that a wide variety of drugs are imported from overseas into the United States. Many drug traffickers try to lure young women into drug smuggling or to use them as mules by contacting them on social networking websites. The availability of drugs online arises not only concerning illegal prescription drugs, but also with more hazardous drugs such as methamphetamine and Ecstasy. Recently, meth labs have been raided inside the territory of India due to the high amount of sales of drugs online. 
The United Nations Office of Drug and Crime reported recently that illegal online pharmacies selling drugs online have become quite prevalent in India, as they are able to ship the drugs overseas through couriers as a form of drug smuggling. The International Narcotics Control Board also reported that countries like Bhutan and Bangladesh currently have several violations under computer crimes because these countries have been opening similar illegal online drug stores as well.
The U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement also reported in a separate case in 2005 that several arrests were made in the case of drug trafficking online. The arrests were made inside of the United States, as well as other countries which include: Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, and India. In this particular case, the criminals were charged with money laundering and drug trafficking and were ordered to pay financial restitution in the amount of six million dollars as a direct result of these computer crimes. 
Drug sales account for approximately eight percent of the world’s trade profit. With the advancement of technology and the increased convenience, it is easier for illegal drug sales to occur online and these computer crimes will only rise in prevalence.