WJEC Level 3 Applied Certificate & Diploma Criminology sample

AC1.1 ANALYSE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRIME Technological crimes Criminal offences Also known as cybercrime, technological crime is where the offence is committed using the internet or other technologies. The usual offences can include: • internet-enabled fraud • downloading illegal materials such as songs and images • the use of social media to promote hate crimes. Types of victim The victim of a technological crime can be anyone who uses the internet, as there is a wide range of crime under this category that can affect many different people. It could be either individuals or large organisations. Often, vulnerable people are victims of phishing scams. Types of offender The type of offender can be anyone with access to and a basic knowledge of the internet. Many of the offenders are based overseas with the technical ability to gain access to bank accounts and credit cards. However, work carried out by the National Crime Agency suggests there is an increase in young people committing such crimes in order to impress their friends. Level of public awareness Initially, the level of public awareness was low due to the new technological element. However, there has been a promotion of such crimes with increased publicity and an increase in the number of these offences. Often victims do not know of the crime until they check bank accounts, etc. Deviant or criminal? Some of these crimes, such as internet fraud, are considered to be criminal and deviant as they break the law and go against the norms and values of society. However, crimes such as downloading songs are very common and may not be seen as a ‘real crime’ by many people. Cybercrime has increased significantly over recent years. Phishing: A scam or an attempt to persuade someone to give out personal information, such as bank account numbers, passwords and credit card details. Key term Mr and Mrs S David, Mr S’s son, is being bullied and he ‘has received threatening and abusive emails and texts. There is even a Facebook page containing homophobic comments about David and encouraging people to write insults and derogatory comments.’ Link to brief 19