Victims of Cybercrimes
Cybercrime refers to a wide range of violations conducted online using the internet through a smartphone, laptops, computers, and mobile-enabled televisions. Perpetrators of such vices are often well-organized and appear to be proficient within their specialization. Cybercrimes can happen to those who have an e-mail address, surf social networks, or transacts a business online. Considering the current advancements in technology, companies perform more efficiently, storing personal and business information safer than before. However, nowadays the cyber safety can be threatened by a sophisticated network of cyber criminals, aiming at malicious personal gain. People often fall victims to such fraud events in numerous ways.
In the contemporary society, banking has seen the replacement of the cumbersome and insecure traditional monetary instruments like paper money to more efficient and safe “plastic money” in the form of credit and debit cards. Therefore, such a change provoked an increase in the use of Automatic Teller Machines in every corner of the world. Such machines are preferred since they are convenient and safe. However, owing to threats from cyber criminals, their acclaimed safety has been doubtful as long as the criminals managed to take over customers’ account credentials. Cyber criminals use Internet components such as e-mail, chat rooms, and websites to solicit fraudulently from victims and conduct fraudulent transactions.
Moreover, governments also fall victim to cyber-related crimes. Such vices committed against a government are referred to cyber terrorism. Criminals tend to hack official, ministry, and military internet sites. Terrorists hack military websites with intent to circulate misleading information. They create problems like access denial, erase some data, and make fabricated statements to the public to portray a false impression of failure on the side of the military during warfare. Security agencies in numerous nations are anxious regarding online safety of their resources. Cyber terrorism has emerged as a new way of spreading terror and harming people as individuals or communities. Considering the development of computers and technology around the world, cyber villains have been employed by a section of individuals to commit online offenses. Belligerent governments from different nations may perpetrate a cybercrime against another country. On June 24, 2015, personal data of an estimated nineteen million current, former, and prospective federal employees were affected by a cyber-breach at the office of personnel management. The United States` investigations agencies believe that Chinese government is behind the cyber intrusion aiming to gain access to the U.S national security data.
Real estate rental owners and tenants have over the year’s fallen prey to unscrupulous cyber criminals. The perpetrators search websites that list homes for sale, retrieve information from the genuine ads, and post them with their e-mail addresses on online advertising sites. Aiming to attract potential victims quickly, the criminals usually post rates that are below market. Therefore, people attracted by the ads ,contact them via their emails.
Home internet users fall victim to various forms of cyber-crime as well. Romance scams are one of them. Cyber criminals scout the internet for victims mostly on dating sites. They capitalize on their vulnerability and promise constant companionship. Once they establish trust of their victims, they start to request money and ask victims to receive packages and reship them. Such a crime not only affects the victims financially but both emotionally and mentally as well. In addition, home internet users experience cybercrimes in the form of blackmail containing extortion. Cyber criminals use the internet to threaten or cause damage with the intent to forcefully extort money or other objects of value from their victims. Therefore, the cyber criminals may threaten to expose damaging or embarrassing information in exchange for money. The content may consist of sexually explicit materials, racist propaganda, harassing, threatening, intrusive communications, and other forms of cybercrimes committed on home internet users. For instance, a man apparently stole nude photographs of his former girlfriend and her new boyfriend. Later, he posted them on the web along with her name, address, and telephone number. The couple and nearby residents received calls and e-mails from strangers who said they had seen the photographs on the internet. In addition, one may face a situation where he/she orders merchandise undelivered. Cyber criminals’ schemes aim to defraud or obtain money or property using false or fraudulent pretenses or promises. Furthermore, authors, at individual level, face cybercrime as a copyright infringement. Cyber criminals distribute their work under preparation for commercial distribution on a computer. The internet makes it easier to reproduce and distribute multimedia combinations, sounds, and print.
Cyber criminals reproduce copyrighted materials for personal use, for sale at a lower price or for free distribution. It has been established that losses of between $15 and $17 billion are recorded due to copyright infringement. According to the Software Publishers Association, $7.4 billion worth of software was lost to piracy in 1993, with $2 billion stolen from the internet.
Telecommunication companies for the last thirty years set a precedent for what has been termed as “a major criminal industry”. Cyber criminals gain access to an organization`s telephone switchboard and obtain access to dial-in/dial-out circuits. Eventually, they make the calls or even sell call time to third parties. The fraudsters can impersonate a technician or fraudulently obtain an employee`s access code to access the switchboard. They use the hacked telecommunication equipment to facilitate organized criminal acts such as drug traffic, gambling, prostitution, money laundering, child pornography, and trade in weapons.
Social media users have fallen into the trap of cyber criminals as well. Social media crime is indeed nothing new. For example, the first incidence, as reported about a decade ago, when hackers in St. Petersburg shut down the website of a nuclear power plant and spread a rumor via social media outlets that a nuclear meltdown had occurred. The incidence caused a major scare until it was later declared a scam. Since then, due to the mass adoption of social networks, the risk posed by social media crime has increased significantly. People are involved into online financial transactions. Criminals have started getting aggressive becoming a threat to millions of internet users. Social media is considered as part of life for the majority of the internet users, who, in most cases, have at least one or more accounts on different social media platforms. Identity theft is the most prevalent threat to users. When creating accounts to register for the mentioned social media platforms, the criminals use massive personal data information of numerous people, which is one of the easiest targets for cyber criminals. When purchasing different products, items, or services through social media platforms, users provide information about credit cards, which is a motivating factor for the cyber criminals around the globe to continually steal the personal details of users from the social media platforms.
In addition, children are victims of cybercrime as well. Online sexual exploitation is becoming extensive. The internet has transformed criminal activity involving the sexual exploitation of children. In cyberspace, criminals hide their identities through pseudonyms and share child sexual exploitation materials through private websites and online bulletin boards. In 2012, RCMP, a multi-agency investigation unit took part in an operation that focused on identifying high-risk cyber criminals, who were involved in the production, possession, and distribution of child sexual exploitation materials. The investigation led to the seizure of one hundred computers and hard drives and arrest of more than fifteen individuals in connection with various sexually-based offenses, which included accessing child pornography, possession, and distribution of child pornography, making child pornography, and internet luring. Such findings are the evidence of the devastating effects of cybercrime on children. The criminals are focused on making money online using children with no attention at the risks they pose to their health and social well-being. It is unfortunate to note that in most cases, cybercrime against children is often not reported to the relevant authorities. Parents, relatives, or guardians at worse, collaborate with the offenders in return for money or do not report such crimes against their children for fear of victimization and blame. Family hardships, such as financial challenges, inadequate parental care, may compel certain children to engage in sexual recordings in the pretext of getting paid.
Cyber criminals have infiltrated pharmaceuticals and chemicals to a greater extent. Considering the relatively high price of pharmaceuticals, thousands of people have turned to online sources for medications. Most of the mentioned sources do not require a prescription. Cyber criminals post websites of pharmaceutical supplies around the internet. Certain drugs might be diluted, counterfeit, or tainted. Worse still, sometimes they may not provide the drugs at all. Online pharmacies, in most cases, attract doctors with troubled work histories, including financial problems, substance abuse issues, and legal difficulties. Counterfeit drugs supplied by unqualified fraudsters often present serious health risks. Small practice offices, clinics, and community hospitals fall prey to cyber criminals. The perpetrators invade their personal and business data, extract information, and sell it to a third party for use in various malicious schemes, involving identity theft. Such data may contain important information about people`s health.
Businesses often experience hardships posed by cybercrime. Their trademarks may be used by fraudsters to sell fake or counterfeit products. The charlatans steal the designs of products to incline customers into buying the fake products. Besides, they post websites bearing a particular company`s name, slogan, or symbol to authenticate their fake products.
Mobile phone users have been significantly hit by cybercrime. According to a report released by 360 Mobile Security Limited, malware infected about one out of every one hundred mobile devices (1.4%) in the world in the second quarter of 2015. Sixty-two percent of the phones had “privacy stealing malware”, created by cyber criminals to grab sensitive information such as login credentials, contacts, and photographs. The criminals have exploited the vulnerability of the mobile devices and can hijack an ordinary Android APK installation process. Such hijacking technique can be used to avoid the user`s view and allocate malware with arbitrary permissions. Additionally, the malware can substitute one application with another.
Though cybercrime is deeply rooted within our contemporary societies` fabric, it is important to note that with awareness of its existence, it can be minimized. Social media users can reduce the threats of cybercrime by becoming aware and conscious while using social media platforms. One is able to ensure the security of his/her personal data on social media platforms with a minimal effort. It is recommended not to share the password with friends or colleagues. In addition, it is suggested to avoid sharing information about debit or credit cards over the social networks to prevent credit/debit card fraudsters.
An organization should be aware of cybercrimes to adopt the defense mechanisms and to build a security culture. Cybercrime awareness will enable an organization to deploy systems such as security information and event management [SIEM], and big data analytics, in order to mitigate the effect of cyber-attacks and reduce the cost suffered by enterprises. Moreover, the awareness enables the organization to adopt security intelligence technologies to boost their efficiency in detecting cyber-attacks.
The ever changing and evolving nature of cybercrime calls to pay close attention to its dynamics and the global threats, which are critical to both businesses and law enforcement. Awareness of cybercrime enables one to think outside the usual attacks on e-mails and focus on the protection of the new grounds, such as social media platforms.
Information about cybercrimes within financial institutions should serve as a basis for its auditors in order to strengthen its resistance against vulnerabilities both online and offline. The companies should be aware of breaches from rogue employees and contractors. The latter represents a threat, which is rated higher than the threat from the criminals outside. Cybercrime awareness prepares an organization to foresee and manage the consequences of cybercrimes. According to a recent cyber security report from Symantec, forty-two million cyber-attacks are expected for the current year, which means that organizations need to thoroughly protect their businesses and customers. The awareness of the imminent cyber threat calls for a high, layered defense in advance. More importantly, vigilance and preparedness are the essential tools to combat current and evolving threats in order to keep customers` payment cards data safe and secure.
Organizations` awareness of cybercrimes will influence the way they gather and interpret data, and speculate considerations on future developments, patterns, trends, and threats. Such knowledge helps to adopt a well-structured strategic analysis methodology, such as Europol [Serious and Organized Crime Threat Assessment]. The mentioned method is constructed to analyze the threat posed by serious organized groups and can be used to scrutinize the specificities of the cybercrime threat. The organization will be able to examine the threatening features of organized crime groups and their geographical dimension. Therefore, crime-relevant factors such as the economic crisis, access to the internet among others, are also taken into account.
National governments should launch public campaigns aiming to help people become aware and protect themselves against online crimes. Simple security precautions, especially among youngsters, could considerably reduce cybercrime activity. One of the options to achieve this goal is to raise the awareness about cybercrimes via sustained media campaigns, television adverts, and ad hoc websites. Ultimately, consistent public information about computer safety could not only save numerous people from having their personal data stolen, but it would also prevent from becoming direct victims of cybercrimes.