What Is A Cyber Crime?

A cyber crime is any criminal act wherein the perpetrator “hacks” or breaks into a computer or computer network in order to illegally obtain sensitive information. Internet fraud, identity theft, and credit card account theft are examples of types of cyber crimes. But cyber crimes go much deeper than that.

The definition of a cyber crime is much broader than popularly thought. It’s not just about stealing an identity or your credit card information, but basically anything that happens on a computer. This can include child pornography, SPAM, any sort of threats or harassment by email or websites, trafficking illegal goods over the internet, etc.

If you believe you or someone you know has been the victim of a cyber crime, report it to the proper authorities. While several state and federal departments investigate cyber crimes, most of the crimes will fall under the jurisdiction of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). You can contact your local FBI office and they can help determine what you can do.

Cyber crimes are on the rise. The Internet Crime Complaint Center, a partnership between the FBI, National White Collar Crime Center, and the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, handled over a quarter of a million cyber crime complaints in 2008.

Since perpetrators of any type of cyber crime can do so from anywhere on the planet, there are some potential difficulties when trying to prosecute the criminal. And, while they don’t leave physical fingerprints, there are electronic clues that can lead to prosecution by your attorney.

If you have been a victim of a cybercrime, consider contacting a criminal defense attorney specializing in cyber crimes. A cyber crime attorney specializes in getting you compensation for crimes committed over the Internet or on your computer.