Cybercrime - Section 2

How can cybercrimes be reported?

Now that there's information on specific types of internet crimes, what can be done when a cyber-offense is evident? Will law enforcement respond? Unfortunately, most 911 centers do not yet handle these issues, although many local police department are developing methods of investigating cybercrimes. They will also take reports, depending on the scope of the crime (CCIPS, 1999; USDL, 1999). At the present time, federal law enforcement has had more time and resources to develop some official ways to report internet crimes. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) currently has various areas of specialization for cybercrime reporting, for everything from password trafficking to international espionage. Furthermore, they recently demonstrated the seriousness of cybercrimes; on November 23, 1999, a 19-year-old male received a 15-month prison sentence and $36,000 in fines after he admitted hacking into various government websites (ZDTV, 1999).

There are other ways of actually reporting cybercrimes on the internet, for those cases when federal intervention is not needed. Certain websites have been established to act as consumer advocates, protecting the victims of cybercrime; a similar "real world" comparison would be the Better Business Bureau. Many of the unofficial "internet safety organizations" can also pass information along to the proper law enforcement agencies if necessary. Some popular examples include Webguardian.com, CyberSnitch.com, and CyberAngels.com (USDL. 1999). These sites also have pages of helpful information on avoiding cybercrimes. Some other more official information sources include the National Fraud Information Center and the National Association of Attorneys General. In many cases, cyberfraud is highly avoidable if the necessary safeguards are implemented; this will be discussed in detail in the next section.

Continue to the final section that answers the question: Will cybercrimes ever stop?

Section 2 References

• Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) internet website. (1999). United States Department of Justice. URL: http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/cybercrime/reporting.htm

• University of Dayton School of Law (UDSL) internet website. (1999). "How to report a cybercrime." URL: http://cybercrimes.net/Reporting/reporting.html

• ZDTV internet website. (1999) "'Zyklon' Jail-bound: Teen hacked government web-sites from Washington, D.C. to London." URL: http://www.zdnet.com/zdtv/cybercrimes