Is online fraud just fraud? Examining the efficacy of the digital divide

Published date10 June 2019
Date10 June 2019
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/JCRPP-01-2019-0008
Pages120-131
AuthorCassandra Cross
Subject MatterHealth & social care
Is online fraud just fraud? Examining the
efficacy of the digital divide
Cassandra Cross
Abstract
Purpose Fraud is not a new offence. However, the recent evolution and proliferation of technologies
(predominantly the internet) has seen offenders increasingly use virtual environments to target and defraud
victims worldwide. Several studies have examined the ways that fraud is perpetrated with a clear
demarcation between terrestrial and cyber offences. However, with moves towards the notion of a digital
societyand recognition that technology is increasingly embedded across all aspects of our lives, it is
important to consider if there is any advantage in categorising fraud against the type of environment it is
perpetrated in. This paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach This paper examines the perceived utility of differentiating online and
offline fraud offences. It is based upon the insights of thirty-one professionals who work within the fraud
justice networkacross London, UK and Toronto, Canada.
Findings It highlights both the realities faced by professionals in seeking to ether maintain or collapse such
a differentiation in their everyday jobs and the potential benefits and challenges that result.
Practical implications Overall, the paper argues that the majority of professionals did not feel a distinction
was necessary and instead felt that an arbitrary divide was instead a hindrance to their activities. However,
while not useful on a practical front, there was perceived benefit regarding government, funding and the
media. The implications of this moving forward are considered.
Originality/value This paper provides new insights into how fraud justice network professionals
understand the distinction between fraud offences perpetrated across both online and offline environments.
Keywords Police, Victims, Fraud, Cybercrime, Digital society, Fraud justice network
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Each year, millions of individuals are victims of fraud. For example, in the UK for the year ending at
June 2018, there were over 3.3m fraud offences reported, relating to over 2.8m victims
(Office of National Statistics, 2018). In the USA, the Internet Crime Complaint Centre (2018)
reported losses of over US$1.4bn to victims in 2017; the Australian Competition and Consumer
Commission (2018) reported over AUD$340m lost to fraud in 2017; and Canadians lost over
CAD$105m to fraud in 2017 (Competition Bureau Canada, 2017, 2018). Fraud losses are not
simply restricted to Western countries, with Hong Kong reporting HK$108m lost to romance
fraud alone in 2017 (Lo and Leung, 2018).
Fraud offences involve an element of dishonesty (Smith, 2008). Fraud is based upon lying,
deception and false pretences, to gain a financial advantage (Fletcher, 2007). Fraud is not a new
offence; however the evolution of the internet and other technologies has changed the nature of
fraud offending and victimisation and enabled offenders to perpetrate fraud on a much larger
scale than previously known (Yar, 2013).
In the context of the internet and evolving technologies, fraud can be understood as a cyber
enabledoffence, meaning that while these offences use technologies such as the internet to
facilitatetheir perpetration, theyare not exclusively dependent uponit. This is noted in the following:
We thus understand cyber-enabled crimes as crimes which can take place in two realms, both online and
offline,often simultaneously,or at different phasesin the commission of thecrime. (Levi et al., 2015, p. 11)
Received 31 January 2019
Revised 29 April 2019
Accepted 5 May 2019
Cassandra Cross is based at the
School of Justice, Queensland
University of Technology,
Brisbane,Australia.
PAGE120
j
JOURNAL OF CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCH, POLICY AND PRACTICE
j
VOL. 5 NO. 2 2019, pp.120-131, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2056-3841 DOI 10.1108/JCRPP-01-2019-0008

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT