Categories of Computer Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Categories of Computer Crime - Essay Example codes; the creation of false bank accounts; theft of personal information and misuse of the stolen information; the virus infection created on computers that can hamper the proper software operations and damage records. Today, the biggest crime created through computer use is the electronic financial account transfer (Computer-Based Crime, 2011). To date, identity theft has the fastest growing crime rate in America. Identity theft is the pilfering and illegal use of private information from an unsuspecting individual to access personal financial accounts. The targeted personal data include a victim’s address, birth date, telephone number, social security number (SSN), bank account number, credit card number, or other valuable identification records to be used for the thief’s economic gain. Criminals use this information in opening new credit and depository accounts, applying for home or car loans, leasing homes, apartments or vehicles (Brody, Mulig & Kimball, 2007) applying for benefits, or filing fake tax returns (Palmer, 2006). In worst cases, perpetrators use the obtained private information to take over the victim’s identity, create enormous debts, or use in a criminal activity under the victim’s name (Brody, Mulig & Kimball, 2007). Phishing is a scam that uses volumes of electronic mail messages to attract innocent victims into disclosing private information. A phishing email illustrating a believable problem lures the victim to a fake link that is a replication of the victim’s bank web address; the victim then fixes the imaginary concern and verifies account information and divulges personal identification. Subsequently, the phisher uses the pilfered PIN number, secret code, and identity to drain the victim’s bank account (Brody, Mulig & Kimball, 2007). Pharming is a technically higher form of phishing wherein a virus is unknowingly downloaded on the victim’s computer. The prey keys in a genuine web address but is instead redirected to a