Digital Fraud Common Forms and Preventative Measures

Introduction

“Whoever commits a fraud is guilty not only of the particular injury to him who he deceives, but of the diminution of that confidence which constitutes not only the ease but the existence of society” -Samuel Johnson

In our ever changing world, technological advances over the past twenty years have paved the way for and deepened our reliance on the digital and computerized lifestyle; electronic mailing, online social networking, computer gaming, e-book reading, mobile phoning, etc... Technology has modified almost every aspect of the human interaction, even our money has changed to bits and bytes that can be transferred around the world or to another bank account with a few taps on a key board and clicks of a mouse; you don’t even have to get your wallet out. With such advances in the way the business is conducted, so too have the methods of which criminals and fraudsters alike who have adapted their methods to scam, con and swindle the unsuspecting and vulnerable.

Digital fraud can be considered as any type of deceitful and often illegal action that is performed by way of the internet, software and hardware that uses someone or the personal information they have for financial or material gain. In today’s society, digital crime is a very real threat and has incredible consequences for government, businesses and the general public at large. Hacking, skimming, and phishing have become terms that are all too familiar to anyone with a computer, debit or credit card, and even an email account. But, what do these terms all have in common? And, who is on the other side of your computer screen, ATM line, or sending those annoying spam messages?

The technology intensive society that we live in demands that we keep ou...

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...activities and attacks are initiated in foreign countries, but the anonymity of the internet allows fraud to be masked and less traceable. Fortunately, there are security measures that can be taken by the public and organizations to prevent, protect and pursue fraud.

Works Cited

1. Adams, Robin. Prevent, protect, pursue – a paradigm for fighting fraud. Computer Fraud & Security. July 2010. pp 11.

2. Alta. health files hacked, maybe stolen. Anonymous. Dawson Creek Daily News. July 9 2009. pp A.3

3. Marck, Paul. A crime that does pay. National Post. Mar 12, 2009. pp FP.12

4. Schmidt, Sarah. Identity theft victims total 1.7 million:survey. Star - Phoenix. Nov 18, 2008. pp. C.4

5. Thompson, Tim. Adding up the real cost of fraud. Computer Fraud & Security. April 2009. pp12.

6. Wagner, Cynthia. Internet fraud on the rise. The Futurist. July/August 2009. Pp 15.