Most of America depends upon digital technology for day-to-day activities. We communicate, bank, play, and date online. People willingly enter personal information, including financial details, into phone apps, computer programs, and commercial machines such as ATMs or credit card processors.
With so much data circulating throughout the internet, more individuals are being charged with cyber crimes. If you face criminal charges for internet or cyber crimes, you need an experienced computer crime attorney to guide you through the legal process.
What Is Computer Crime?
Computer crimes include a wide range of illegal activities committed using a computer or another digital source. Often, computer crimes encompass someone using a computer to take advantage of another person. The goal is usually financial gain, but these crimes may include personal vendettas or a desire to undermine a business or stop its activities.
As computer crimes are more anonymous than, for example, a street robbery, offenders may feel nobody will catch them. However, data specialists can perform forensic analyses to determine how a cybercrime occurred and who committed it.
A person convicted of a computer crime may face fines, restitution, probation, or jail time, depending on the severity of the crime and the laws that apply.
5 Common Types of Computer Crime
Cyber criminals are clever, often committing new cyber crimes every day. Here are five of the most common computer or digital crimes that prosecutors pursue:
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Phishing
Phishing, a type of computer crime, occurs when someone tries to obtain personal, often financial, information from an individual without their knowledge or permission. Phishing often occurs in conjunction with spoofing, where someone sends an email or text message claiming to be a trusted company that needs information. Phishing is also common in internet ads, which ask someone to click a link that leads them to a fake website or exposes their personal information.
When the unsuspecting target opens the message or clicks the link, they think they are communicating with a legitimate company, such as their bank, credit card company, or an online retailer. They may provide login information, their Social Security number, credit card details, or other information that allows the phisher to access their accounts and steal their money.
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Malicious Software
Savvy computer hackers identify weaknesses in computer security systems. They create and send viruses and malware that exploit security gaps and disrupt normal computer and system functioning.
Some programs known as ransomware may hijack and disable the network, blocking users’ access or threatening complete data corruption. The hacker then demands payment from the person or company to release the system, or threatens that they will breach the network and access the sensitive data.
Viruses can infect a network and disrupt computer functioning. A virus can destroy a device or allow someone access to the data on the device, often without the device owner’s knowledge.
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Identity Theft
This computer crime usually involves credit card or banking theft. The thief steals a person’s information, such as credit card numbers and security codes or bank account information, to access these accounts for their own purposes.
Identity theft is not always a cyber crime since thieves can physically steal a credit or debit card and use it in an ATM, store, or bank. Cyber identity theft can go undetected for months before the unsuspecting victim realizes the problem.
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Malicious Hacking
Computer hackers find ways to steal login information and passwords to access corporate or personal data. Corporate data breaches can leak the personal information of millions of customers and expose the company to extensive financial losses and potential liability.
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Cyberstalking and Cyberbullying
Online harassment can constitute a criminal offense. Cyberstalkers and bullies usually send abusive messages or threats through online services such as social media or chatrooms. Some bullies gather personal information about the victim and create fake social profiles to harm or embarrass the target.
Are Computer Crimes Charged in State or Federal Court?
Depending on the specific computer related crimes and the severity of the impact, you might face state or federal charges. Most state laws include criminal offenses prohibiting the fraudulent or unauthorized use of cyber information over the internet to breach someone’s privacy. State-level crimes may carry misdemeanor or felony penalties, again depending on the severity of the crime.
Certain cyber crimes violate federal statutes. For example, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act states that people who take certain actions using computers to gain access to unauthorized information may face federal penalties ranging from fines to incarceration.
Since computer crime cases carry severe penalties, anyone charged with a computer crime should seek the advice of an experienced white-collar crime lawyer as quickly as possible.
Berry Law’s Team Provides You With Multiple Attorney Perspectives
If You Face a Computer Crime Charge, Turn to Berry Law
What may have started as a simple or harmless idea can become a serious criminal situation. When the state or federal prosecutor’s office brings criminal charges against you for a computer crime or internet fraud, a conviction can lead to severe consequences ranging from fines, restitution, or prison time.
Trust the internet crime lawyers at Berry Law to help you analyze the charges, investigate the facts, and build a solid defense against the government’s case. We can look for ways to expose any weaknesses in the prosecution’s position to help you receive a fair outcome.
Call (402) 903-4777 or complete our online contact form to discuss your case and learn how we can help you. Contact us before you speak with the prosecution or consider any plea agreement. Your future depends on it.
