A Guide to Computer Crime and Prevention

In the days of the old west, criminals would hide their faces, draw their guns and rob the local bank or stage-coach. These villains such as Bonnie and Clyde and Billy the Kid became famous for conducting robberies such as these. Over time the ways that money related crimes have evolved from strong-armed robberies to scams involving schemes for money. One of the few similarities is that the criminals have the money and the victims do not.

While the basis for money related crimes have been pretty constant, the way that crimes are becoming more technologically creative. We have gone from in-person robberies to nameless and faceless crimes involving computers. By using computers and modern technology, people can scam people, steam identities, attempt email cons and a variety of other methods. However, these are not the only problems associated with computers.

Computer related crimes cover a wide array of issues for computer users. Crimes such as spamming, passing on computer viruses, harassment, cyberstalking and others have become common in our modern world. While some of these issues do not carry potential monetary loss, they are just as harmful in the possibility of losing files, information and access to your computer.

While this is an ever-changing problem, we have come up with some information that users can find helpful to learn about the problems of computer related crimes. Please review the information so that you can be better informed of the problems and how to prevent being a victim.

Spam

• Spam Information – Informative site providing information on what constitutes spam, how it works and how it can be prevented.
• Spam Attacks – Information from the Department of Justice on the topic of spam and examples of recent spam attacks.
• Reducing Spam – Helpful tips and information on how consumers and computers users can reduce the amount of spam that they receive.
• CAN-SPAM Act – Government information on the legislation that was put into place to control the amount of spam and puts penalties in place for abusers.

Computer Viruses

• What is a Computer Virus? - Information on what computer viruses are, how they operate and why they can be harmful to your computer if not protected.
• Virus Basics – Informative resource covering many topics on computer virus and prevention.
• Dealing with Computer Viruses – Tips and information on how to deal with a computer that is infected with a virus.

Fraud

• Computer Crime and Fraud – Thorough government paper on the dangers that consumers face through computer crime and computer fraud.
• What is Computer Fraud? – Helpful information on the dangers associated with fraudulent activities conducted online.
• Types of Computer Scams – Useful information on different types of computer scams that are being used currently.

Harassment

• Cyberstalking and Online Harassment – Useful information discussing the issues facing people online and the harassment of them.
• Online Harassment Protection – Helpful resources for people on how to prevent being a victim of online harassment.

Identity Theft

• Avoiding Identity Theft – Informative site from the FTC covering many aspects of the crime of identity theft including how to prevent being a victim.
• Identity Theft and Identity Fraud – Department of Justice information on computer users and the threat of losing their identity online.
• Identity Theft Information – Useful information from the FDIC covering many areas on how people can lose their identity and become a victim of fraud.
• Identity Theft is a Crime – Official government website which covers all aspects of consumer fraud and being a victim of identity theft.
• Identity Theft – Helpful website which helps consumers learn about the problems associated with identity theft and offers help in being safe from being a victim.

Phishing

• Phishing Scam Prevention – Information on how not to become a victim of Internet fraud by phishing attempts.
• Report Phishing Sites – Site providing information on phishing schemes and what to do if you suspect being a victim.
• Phishing Fraud – Informative page providing help in not being a victim of phony emails looking to scam people.

Other Cyber Crimes

• Cyber Crimes – Informative resource containing information on various types of online crimes.
• Cyber Crime – Authoritative information from the FBI which deals with various types of online crimes and what is being done to stop them from occurring.
• Cyber Crimes Center – Information and resources covering a broad range of computer related crimes.

We hope you have learned more about the potential dangers of computer related crimes. By educating computer users about potential danger, we hope that it will lessen the number of victims of these crimes.