Search

Many new surveys have been developed to assess the prevalence of online sexual abuse. An important type of question asked in many of these surveys is about online sexual solicitation. However, not all sexual solicitations of children necessarily qualify as sexual abuse as it has conventionally been defined. Sexual solicitations from other same age youth may be legal and nonabusive. Solicitations of youth above the age of consent by adults may also be legal. At the same time, many true online sex offenses may not be identified with questions about solicitation wanted or unwanted. This article reviewed 25 online sexual abuse survey reports. It also examined episodes and narratives from the U.S. National Technology Facilitated Abuse (TFA) survey, which asked about online solicitation and other online sexual offenses. Among the surveys reviewed, 9 of 25 elicited and counted online sexual solicitation from adults only, but the rest counted other youth solicitors as well as adults. Eight of 25 asked about only "unwanted" solicitations, but the rest had no such qualification, possibly including solicitations with positive or neutral reactions. Analysis of the TFA survey showed that in over half of solicitation episodes, the recipients did not actually know the age or identity of the solicitor. Very large differences in prevalence rates can occur depending on what types of solicitation are counted and how missing information is classified. Recommendations are made about classifying and reporting on findings about online solicitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key digested message Much has been said of AI's risks in the hands of criminals, particularly new advances in generative AI. But should we be concerned? This article offers a perspective away from the prevailing opinion amongst experts and argues that we have less to be concerned about, than what is speculated. Fraud has been around since the dawn of the human condition. Many of our modern advances have contributed to its reach and impact, but it is doubtful that AI will be one of them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key digested message Hiding behind a smartphone screen, online dating applications provide a playground of opportunity for fraudsters and scammers. With ease of access to artificial intelligence, the technological capabilities of nefarious individuals are quickly growing. From sophisticated chatbots designed to engage in conversations and extract personal data, to deepfake technology used to create convincing false personas. This article summarises the current and upcoming risks which artificial intelligence poses to dating application and social media users. Deepfake technology is a key risk; the world is experiencing greater use of attractive deepfake images to convince dating app users into involvement in a romance scam, face-swaps to target and blackmail social media users with their intimate images, and instant generation of child sexual abuse material. Other risks include stalkers tracking their victims with greater ease, and individuals downloading nefarious dating applications which utilise chatbots to gather information and get paid. Gaps in empirical research are identified and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From a legal standpoint, there are significant disparities in treating online offenses targeting individuals, organizations, and nation-states. These disparities arise due to influences that vary discreetly based on crucial factors such as the target, motive, or impact. This article draws upon the Information Technology Amendment Act (ITAA) of 2008 in India, analyses how these factors regulate online crimes, and thereby conducts a comprehensive analysis of current literature to differentiate cybercrime, cyberattacks, and cyberterrorism. The proposed framework includes a target-impact (intent) model to differentiate illicit online activities, complemented by a discussion on the actor-intent model, which emphasizes their treatment and implications within the legal context. The article explores the target-impact (intent) definition of cybercrime, highlighting its significance in capturing the cyber aspect and differentiating it from cyberattacks. Case studies are presented to illustrate these distinctions effectively. Furthermore, the article highlights variations in mitigation strategies, investigative protocols, punitive measures, and legal consequences corresponding to the identified classifications. Lastly, it incorporates insights from theoretical criminology and sociology, discusses how the proposed target-impact (intent) model aligns with the routine activity theory, and attempts to distinguish online crimes using the institutional theory.

Copyright of Revista Española de Derecho Constitucional is the property of Centro de Estudios Politicos y Constitucionales and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

With society becoming increasingly digital, new opportunities are afforded to potential offenders to weaponize digital features and affordances to carry out their crimes. As a result, concerns persist over online forms of crime, particularly cybercrime involving sexual exploitation, and what can be done about them. Drawing on interview and focus group data collected from 70 sex crime investigators from police service organizations across Canada, we uncover police perspectives on online sex-based crime. We demonstrate that police perceive online crimes to not necessarily be new forms of crime, but rather altered by digital media in terms of methods and weapons being used. We focus on uncovering the features and affordances police identify as contributing to the increase in crime itself as well as the creation of greater opportunities for crime to occur. In addition, resulting from crime shifting into digital spaces, we uncover the challenges digital media has presented for police in terms of how they handle, respond to, and investigate online crime. We discuss these challenges and their impact on policing and provide solutions for combatting them moving forward. Overall, this article contributes to the current body of literature investigating online crime and policing in the digital age by drawing on the theoretical framework of affordances and offering police perspectives on online sex-based crimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Das von der Bundesregierung vorgeschlagene Digitale-Dienste-Gesetz (DDG-E) soll im Bundestag bis zum März abschließend verhandelt werden und dann schon im April in Kraft treten. Ein wichtiger Aspekt des Gesetzentwurfs erhält bisher zu wenig Aufmerksamkeit: Was genau soll eigentlich das Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) nach § 13 DDG-E - der nationalen „Begleitgesetzgebung” zu Art. 18 Digital Services Act (DSA) - machen? Ist diese Rolle im gegenwärtigen Entwurf hinreichend abgesichert? Und bedarf es dafür wirklich - wie geplant - 450 Stellen?

Introduction: Stats reveal an increasing rate of cybercrimes. Data breaches cost businesses an average of $4.35 million in 2022. This qualitative research explores the realm of cybercrime, focusing on adult perceptions and the underlying factors that might motivate engagement in online activities considered illegal or criminal. Objectives: The primary aim of the study is to explore how individuals conceptualize online crimes and rationalize their involvement in such activities, including illegal downloads and online bullying. Understanding these perceptions is crucial for addressing the broader implications of cybercrime in society. Methodology: The study gathered insights through panel discussions involving master's students from diverse international backgrounds at the University of Tehran. Thematic analysis was employed to dissect and understand the opinions and justifications offered by the participants regarding their views on cybercrime. Results: Findings from the discussions reveal a complex tapestry of attitudes towards cybercrime, encompassing various justifications and rationalizations for participation in illegal online activities. These perspectives provide a nuanced understanding of how cybercrimes are perceived by individuals. Conclusion: The research contributes significantly to our comprehension of individual attitudes towards cybercrimes. The insights gained are invaluable for the development of targeted educational programs, interventions, and legal frameworks aimed at effectively mitigating and addressing the challenges posed by cybercrime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extraordinary current craze around NFTs reflects their perceived value as a technological development that can bring greater certainty to questions of ownership and authenticity in fields like art and other collectibles. This is, among other things, the promise of crime prevention through technology, as ownership and authenticity are in the art world closely tied to criminal legal matters like theft, handling stolen goods and fraud. The crime prevention promise looks to fall flat though, as the technology seems to be less capable of delivering these benefits than has been assumed by its promoters. Much of the attraction of NFTs is therefore not actually based on effective crime prevention, but rather on hype. This paper explores the hype, and its relationship to the crime prevention promise of NFTs, through the lens of 'the social lives of things'. We argue that as well as social lives, things have criminal lives. Analysis sensitive to the criminal lives of things finds an NFT trading scene heated by emotion: excitement, attraction, temptation, speculative euphoria and acquisitive, possessive sentiment. This creates a sense of object agency more active than the cold traditional vision of material structure presented in standard criminological treatments of things-in-the-world as passive opportunity structures. The hyped NFT market trades in affecting objects that create crime in emotional as well as structural ways. We therefore arrive at a conclusion opposite to starting assumptions: far from preventing crime, NFTs are making it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cybercrime is a fast-growing digital crime and legislation falling behind with the fast-moving advancement of technology. One important factor projected by literature in combating cybercrime is legislation. In order to combat cybercrime, the role of cybercrime legislation is a challenge that has not been clearly studied before. This paper thus aims to recapitulate the literature on cybercrime legislation in combating cybercrime. The literature in this context emphasises on existing studies relating to cybercrime legislation and addressing the importance of adequate and efficient responses in place in order to combat cybercrime efficiently. Methods: This paper finds an extensive literature review using the “Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis” method based on legislation to combat cybercrime and explains a systematic analysis of the legislation in most advanced countries in both technology and legal framework. The study was done by selecting keywords, validated by the experts to discover research trends of cybercrime legislation. A search was then run across seven academic databases, including the ACM Digital Library, Emerald, Hein Online, ProQuest, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Westlaw Asia. Initially, five hundred and forty-eight articles were retrieved and out of which seventy-two studies met the inclusion criteria and were fully reviewed. Results: The findings of the study revealed that comprehensive cybercrime legislation plays a vital role in combating cybercrime and cybercrime legislation should be strengthened, enhanced, and made up to date with the rapid advancement of technology in order to address the rising number of cybercrime. Discussion: This systematic review is timely and highlights future research directions to improve a comprehensive legal framework to combat the rising of cybercrime effectively. To fill the research gap, the findings also have fundamental practical implications for the policy makers, in enacting an up to date cybercrime legislation by highlighting the role of legislation in combating cybercrime.

Background: Cybercrime is a fast-growing digital crime and legislation falling behind with the fast-moving advancement of technology. One important factor projected by literature in combating cybercrime is legislation. In order to combat cybercrime, the role of cybercrime legislation is a challenge that has not been clearly studied before. This paper thus aims to recapitulate the literature on cybercrime legislation in combating cybercrime. The literature in this context emphasises on existing studies relating to cybercrime legislation and addressing the importance of adequate and efficient responses in place in order to combat cybercrime efficiently. Methods: This paper finds an extensive literature review using the “Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis” method based on legislation to combat cybercrime and explains a systematic analysis of the legislation in most advanced countries in both technology and legal framework. The study was done by selecting keywords, validated by the experts to discover research trends of cybercrime legislation. A search was then run across seven academic databases, including the ACM Digital Library, Emerald, Hein Online, ProQuest, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Westlaw Asia. Initially, five hundred and forty-eight articles were retrieved and out of which seventy-two studies met the inclusion criteria and were fully reviewed. Results: The findings of the study revealed that comprehensive cybercrime legislation plays a vital role in combating cybercrime and cybercrime legislation should be strengthened, enhanced, and made up to date with the rapid advancement of technology in order to address the rising number of cybercrime. Discussion: This systematic review is timely and highlights future research directions to improve a comprehensive legal framework to combat the rising of cybercrime effectively. To fill the research gap, the findings also have fundamental practical implications for the policy makers, in enacting an up to date cybercrime legislation by highlighting the role of legislation in combating cybercrime.

Today almost everyone is using the internet, because from the internet we can get all the information easily and quickly. but not everyone knows the dangers of using the internet. because it is not uncommon also someone to commit crimes through the internet (cyber crime). cyber crime is the negative side of technological advances for all areas of modern life that exist today. one of the crimes that can occur through internet access is online prostitution. The online prostitution activity is a negative impact of social media abuse. One effort that can be used to cope with online prostitution activity that occurs is with the approach of criminal law policy through criminal sanctions as a concrete form of criminal responsibility to perpetrators of online prostitution. The disclosure of online prostitution cases proves that social media is a powerful tool for the promotion of prostitution. Such prostitution activity is the effect of unlimited use of online social media. In the absence of a national regulation that regulates this matter, online prostitution users will feel secure and liberal in purchasing services for their own satisfaction, while in fact it is contrary to legal norms in society.

In an increasingly digital world, our social interactions are increasingly moving online. Differential association and social learning theories suggest that we learn both moral definitions and the how-to of crime from those we associate with. In this paper we examine whether online or offline social learning leads to more self-disclosed forms of cyber-offending. Using a national online sample of 1,109 participants, we find both online and offline social learning are important correlates to cyber-offending. In addition, we predict that lower self-control will interact with social learning to further increase the likelihood of cyber-offending. Overall, we find that both social learning and self-control, individually and as an interaction, have a large effect-size in predicting cyber-offending. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the impact of online crime victimisation. A literature review and 41 interviews – 19 with victims and 22 with experts – were carried out to gain insight into this. The interviews show that most impacts of online offences correspond to the impacts of traditional offline offences. There are also differences with offline crime victimisation. Several forms of impact seem to be specific to victims of online crime: the substantial scale and visibility of victimhood, victimisation that does not stop in time, the interwovenness of online and offline, and victim blaming. Victims suffer from double, triple or even quadruple hits; it is the accumulation of different types of impact, enforced by the limitlessness in time and space, which makes online crime victimisation so extremely invasive. Furthermore, the characteristics of online crime victimisation greatly complicate the fight against and prevention of online crime. Finally, the high prevalence of cybercrime victimisation combined with the severe impact of these crimes seems contradictory with public opinion – and associated moral judgments – on victims. Further research into the dominant public discourse on victimisation and how this affects the functioning of the police and victim support would be valuable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social research about online crime is a multi-disciplinary field addressing a wide array of topics since its inception in the 1980s. Based on a broad review of state-of-the-art literature and gaps identified in review publications (Holt, Bossler 2014; Stratton, Powell, Cameron 2017; Maimon, Louderback 2019, and others), in this paper I outline 41 key topic in social research about online crime, classified into four broad categories: 1) research focusing on specific types of online crime, 2) research about perpetrators, victims, and law enforcement, 3) research about online crime discourses and public perceptions, 4) research putting the local and global specifics of online crime into perspective. Based on the topic map, I undertook a systematic review of literature on research about online crime published in Lithuania from the empirical social scientific perspective. The results show that very few such studies are carried out in Lithuania. From 2004 to 2020, 26 publications have been found in total. 10 of them were theoretical briefs, while 16 were based on empirical data. Out of the 41 key topic, 14 were covered in the publications, while 29 or roughly two thirds remained unaddressed. The dominant contributors were legal scholars writing about the social aspects of online crime across a variety of topics, and mostly focusing on specific crime types. The most developed topic was cyberbullying, with contributions by scholars mostly from the fields of psychology and education. To fill in these glaring gaps, it is vital to develop this field of research with an emphasis on both wider and deeper research agendas, complex, valid and reliable research data and critical theoretical approaches, inviting systematic contributions from criminology, sociology, communication and media studies, and political science.

This paper analyses key differences between two paradigms dominant in social research on online crime: the more prevalent neopositivist paradigm and the more recent critical–cultural paradigm. Based on an extensive analysis of up-to-date literature, the key paradigmatic oppositions in online crime research encompass: 1) in neopositivism, the conceptual separation of technological and social practices, the reliance on rational choice approaches in theory, especially routine activity theory, and the tendency towards quantitative research methods; 2) in the critical–cultural paradigm, a complex and context-dependent approach to the technosocial as a continuum, theoretical roots in critical theory, cultural criminology, actor-network theory, and feminist theory, and the emphasis on qualitative methods. The field of online crime research in Lithuania is dominated by legal studies, while social research is rare and fragmented. The existing social research of online crime in Lithuania lacks a solid theoretical basis in either paradigm. Methodologically, there are examples of both quantitative (surveys, analysis of registered crime statistics) and qualitative studies (interviews, discussion groups, content analysis). However, most of the studies are small-scale and their scarcity makes it nearly impossible to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, and complimentary potential of each approach in the specific national and regional context.

The advancement of the Internet and digital technology has enabled individuals to commit crimes affecting both virtual and real targets at will. Criminological scholarship related to cybercrime and technology-enabled offending has primarily focused on offenders and victims, calling to question how police agencies effectively respond to these incidents. Limited empirical research has largely focused on line officers, who view these cyber offenses to be less serious in comparison to traditional crimes. Research examining the perceptions of detectives and inspectors is virtually nonexistent, though they are much more likely to have an investigative responsibility to pursue offenders and engage with citizens about the offense. Thus, there is a need to understand the attitudes inspectors hold toward online crime in order to improve our knowledge of police views and inform policy makers in building effective strategies to aid their response to unique and emerging crime types. This study examined the attitudinal factors associated with online crimes and incidents using a sample of 155 inspectors from 26 local agencies across England and Wales. The implications of this study for both police detectives and law enforcement agencies are discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses key differences between two paradigms dominant in social research on online crime: the more prevalent neopositivist paradigm and the more recent critical-cultural paradigm. Based on an extensive analysis of up-to-date literature, the key paradigmatic oppositions in online crime research encompass: 1) in neopositivism, the conceptual separation of technological and social practices, the reliance on rational choice approaches in theory, especially routine activity theory, and the tendency towards quantitative research methods; 2) in the critical-cultural paradigm, a complex and context-dependent approach to the technosocial as a continuum, theoretical roots in critical theory, cultural criminology, actor-network theory, and feminist theory, and the emphasis on qualitative methods. The field of online crime research in Lithuania is dominated by legal studies, while social research is rare and fragmented. The existing social research of online crime in Lithuania lacks a solid theoretical basis in either paradigm. Methodologically, there are examples of both quantitative (surveys, analysis of registered crime statistics) and qualitative studies (interviews, discussion groups, content analysis). However, most of the studies are small-scale and their scarcity makes it nearly impossible to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, and complimentary potential of each approach in the specific national and regional context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Kriminologijos Studijos is the property of Vilnius University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The central question of this article is: To what extent and how do the needs of victims of cybercrime deviate from the needs of victims of traditional offline offenses? In total, 19 victims and 22 experts were interviewed. Our study shows that victims of online offenses have the same needs as victims of traditional offenses: ranging from emotional or financial needs to information needs. However, victims' needs are often not met. Victims state that in most cases, they are not acknowledged as a victim, that no statement is recorded by the police, or no investigation is started. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared to the offline world, the online environment is more anonymous and therefore less easily controlled. Criminological theories generally show that people are more likely to commit crime when they experience or perceive less formal or informal social control. Consequently, one might assume that people are more likely to commit crime online than offline. As formal social control is lacking, informal social control and peer-offending may be important predictors of online offending. In this paper, we examine to what extent differences in perceived formal and informal online control are related to the likelihood that a person will commit a system-trespassing offense (i.e. malicious hacking). Additionally, we examine peer system-trespassing, and how this may interact with perceptions of formal and informal social control. In the logistic regression analyses we employ eight different measures for perceptions of formal and informal social control, in addition to peer-offending, and control variables. Both direct effects and interaction effects are examined. Our results show that peer-offending is an important predictor of system-trespassing and interaction effects show that perceived formal and informal online social control are related to this type of offending but only for specific groups. Implications will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the perceptions of police constables and sergeants across England and Wales regarding the nature of cybercrimes, their frequency, and any time spent investigating these offences each week. Though previous research has examined line officer views and police management in the US, there is limited research examining how constables view online crimes as they are being directed to address them through national policy, and through local demands from the citizens they serve. The results demonstrated that constables engaged with online offences in the field, though they differ on the nature of online crimes and their impact on the general public. They also viewed online crimes as frequent problems, though they spend a relatively small proportion of their time each week responding to these cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many forms of victimization, including bullying and property crime, are increasingly moving online, but most studies of poly-victimization still primarily focus on in-person crime and violence. Few studies have examined the importance of incorporating technology-based victimizations for assessing the true burden of violence. The purpose of this study is to explore whether digital poly-victimization contributes to post-traumatic stress and anxiety/dysphoria symptoms after controlling for in-person poly-victimization. Given that technology use and technology-based victimization are changing rapidly, a mixed methods approach was adopted. In the first two phases, focus groups and cognitive interviews (89 total participants) were used to identify the range of digital victimization and develop the Digital Poly-Victimization Scale. In the third phase, the new measure was included in a community survey (n = 478, 57.5% female; 62.6% earning under $50,000 per year) in a rural Southern region, along with measures of in-person poly-victimization, posttraumatic stress and anxiety/dysphoria symptoms, and other outcomes and personal characteristics. A comprehensive measure of digital poly-victimization indicated that almost 3 in 4 participants (72.3%) had experienced at least one form of digital victimization. The results indicated that digital poly-victimization contributed unique variance to post-traumatic stress and anxiety/dysphoria symptoms (p < .001), health-related quality of life (p < .01), and subjective and family well-being (both p < .001), even after controlling for demographics and in-person poly-victimization. Digital victimization often presents fewer risks to perpetrators and can be expected to represent an increasing share of the societal burden of violence. Future research on poly-victimization should pay more attention to the role of digital victimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the relative lack of studies concerning characterisation of online crime in court judgements. The goal was to outline the social context of computer-dependent online offences in Lithuania as enacted in court practice. It is an internationally relevant example of the applied outcomes of local legislation enacting the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime. We focused on four key themes to explore how computer-dependent online crime was defined in court practice: offences, offenders, victims, and sentences, bound by the concept of selectivity in criminal justice. A mixed-methods approach was utilised to analyse 265 court judgements in online offence cases in Lithuania from the years 2017–2021. The results revealed that the majority of the offences were computer-enabled rather than computer-dependent , carried out by persons with previous experience in the criminal justice system seeking financial gain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study utilizes aspects of Ferraro's risk interpretation model in order to examine how social and physical vulnerabilities and victimization experiences relate to fear of online crime using Eurobarometer survey data. The results of the regression analyses show that individuals with prior cybercrime victimization experiences, women, and individuals with lower social status and lower confidence in their ability to use the Internet report higher levels of fear. Low social status and low confidence was found to have a significant interaction effect with prior victimization experiences in relation to fear of cybercrime. Prior victimization experiences with online fraud appear to increase fear of cybercrime in low social status individuals more than other groups. Experiences with hacked accounts or cyberattacks also intensifies the fear of those with low confidence more than those with a higher amount of confidence. Overall, the results of this study indicate that social and physical vulnerabilities as well as victimization have direct and indirect effects on fear of cybercrime, just as with traditional place-based crimes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Cyberspace creates opportunities for new forms of crime that may be related to specific personality characteristics of offenders. Few studies have investigated the personality characteristics of cyber offenders. We address this gap by comparing a judicial sample of 261 suspects of cyber-dependent crime, 260 suspects of offline crime, and a community sample of 512 participants on the HEXACO personality domains and their underlying facets. This provides a nuanced picture of the cybercriminal personality and could provide information for prevention and intervention programs. Results indicate that, compared to suspects of offline crime, suspected cyber offenders score significantly lower on extraversion and significantly higher on conscientiousness and openness to experience. Cyber offenders are more similar to community participants on these main personality domains. With regard to the underlying facets, suspected cyber offenders appear to be unique in their relatively high level of diligence. They are more similar to suspected offline offenders on traits that may help them perform criminal activities, such as lower levels of modesty, fearfulness, and flexibility. They are more similar to the community sample, however, on traits that may strengthen their ability or tendency to commit cyber offenses, such as higher levels of patience, perfectionism, and prudence. • Compared to offline offenders, cyber offenders' personality scores are more similar to those of a community sample. • Cyber offenders score particularly high on Diligence, a facet of Conscientiousness. • Cyber and offline offenders share low scores on Modesty, Fearfulness, Flexibility, and Aesthetic Appreciation. • Cyber offenders are in between offline offenders and the community sample on Honesty-Humility. • Cyber offenders and the community sample share higher scores on Conscientiousness and Openness to Experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pronounced drop in crime, since the early 1990s, has encompassed every crime category tracked by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports, including property crime. However, over the same period, the rates of online property crime (OPC) have been on the rise according to available evidence. We delineate the extent of our knowledge and data concerning cybercrime and identity theft and, using data from several nationally representative victimization surveys, offer an alternative view of property crime trends while pointing out the glaring gap in crime reporting and accounting in relation to the growing category of property crimes perpetrated online. In addition, we compare estimated costs of traditional property crime vs. OPC. Finally, we identify the main challenges for obtaining reliable data on OPC and discuss their implications, especially when applying the traditional methods of compiling crime statistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Law Enforcement Agencies throughout Europe remember the years 1999 to 2000 as the initial period when consideration had to be given to the new phenomenon of online sex offenders, and more specifically how it should be policed. The nature of online child abuse and the unlikelihood that the victims will report the crime means that the statistical policing strategies followed by police forces in the United Kingdom are ill-adapted to this form of criminal behaviour. More proactive governmental and police action is required to identify offenders and victims and to prevent further online child abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This contribution provides a critical analysis of the treatment of consumer liability in cases of Internet banking fraud. Whereas generally banks refund the financial losses associated with Internet banking fraud to the individual victim, exceptions do occur, at least in certain EU jurisdictions. These, however, are rarely spoken about, but do indicate a number of (legal) problems. The main problems are lack of clarity and lack of consistency as to when a consumer can be held liable. These problems also maintain potential negative consequences such as increase in perceived risk, loss of trust and demands for better security, which may be suboptimal from an economical perspective. This article concludes by reflecting on the potential benefits of the introduction of zero liability as an alternative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]