a crime that can be committed in both the online and physical worlds

As we have seen, many crimes can be committed both in the “real world” and in cyberspace. For example, a person can be stalked in person as well as online, and child pornography can be distributed through the mail as well as online. There are many such examples.

For this week’s discussion, choose a crime that can be committed in both the online and physical worlds. If you can, try to choose an example that has not yet been covered by another student, so that we can discuss as many types of crime as possible.

Describe the elements of the crime you have chosen. In other words, what must occur in order for the offender to be in violation of the laws? Discuss whether there are differences between the “real-world” and the online versions of this crime. Are there different impacts, or different victims? Does law enforcement pursue these two versions of the same crime differently?

Of course, the desire to acquire money is at the root of many cyber crimes such as identity theft. What other motivations can you identify that could explain why an offender might commit a cyber crime? (Don’t limit your thinking to identity theft).