Common Types of Cybercrime

 Posted on June 29, 2016 in DuPage County criminal defense attorney

Use of the Internet has become a ubiquitous part of everyday life. Likewise, cybercrime has also become part of everyday criminal activity and law enforcement. And while the Internet may have once seemed like a safe haven for criminal activity, where illegal actions were supposedly shrouded in the anonymity of the online world, this is no longer the case.

Just as cybercrime itself has become more involved and advanced, so has the ability to prosecute it.

Silk Road 

One of the most widely publicized incidents of cybercrime in recent years was the take down of the infamous Silk Road—a website that served as a marketplace for black market illegal goods. The website ran from 2011 to 2013 and made more than $1 billion in sales.

When the mastermind behind Silk Road, Ross Ulbricht, was finally apprehended, worldwide conversation about the regulation of the Internet in order to stop illegal activity was sparked. Yet while Ulbricht’s imprisonment may has served as a warning to other cyber criminals that illegal activity will not be permitted online, regardless of the complexity of firewalls and international servers, cybercrime continues to be a common crime in the United States.

Fighting Cybercrime in 2016

It may have taken law enforcement a while to effectively train officers on this relatively new type of criminal activity; however, cybercrime is no longer a mystery.

Identity theft, fraud, and computer/network intrusions are the three top key priorities in 2016 for FBI officials fighting cybercrime. In the U.S. alone, the FBI has field offices to fight cybercrime in 56 cities nationwide, with satellite offices in 380 additional locations.

Among the top three priorities, there are further breakdowns for types of cybercrime that are the most common—ones in which law enforcement are equipped to combat. These include:

• Tax-refund fraud;
• Corporate account takeover;
• Identity theft;
• Theft of sensitive data; and
• Theft of intellectual property.

Additionally, certain cybercrime convictions—cyber stalking, online solicitation, child pornography distribution—can result in significant prison sentences and a lifetime placement on the sex offender registry.

Speak with a Skilled Criminal Defense Lawyer in Illinois Today

If you have been charged with committing a cybercrime, be it drug or human trafficking, cyber stalking, online solicitation, identity theft, etc., the most important step is to seek legal counsel. Moreover, if a crime is relatively new, do not assume that it will not be prosecuted to the fullest extent. Contact an experienced DuPage County criminal defense attorney today to schedule your consultation.

Sources:

https://www.wired.com/2015/04/silk-road-1/

https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/cyber

https://www.aicpa.org/InterestAreas/ForensicAndValuation/Resources/ElectronicDataAnalysis/DownloadableDocuments/Top-5-CyberCrimes.pdf