TABLE OF CONTENTS We often fear most what we don t understand. That could be said about computers and the investigation of computer crimes. Many investigators cringe at the mention of a computer and seek to offload any computer-related crime to the computer crime guy in their office. Although computers have been around for a few decades, they ve finally reached levels where it is feasible to expect that everyone has access to a computer. The computer is no longer a nice to have, it is a must have. Those who don t own their own computers can walk into a public library or cyber cafe to gain access to a computer. Similarly, access to the Internet is becoming ubiquitous through connections provided by libraries, coffee shops, computer stores, and even fast food restaurants. This explosion of computer technology and acceptance has opened up a whole new world of opportunity to the criminal element that constantly looks for new ways to exploit people through time proven scams and tactics. As computers become more deeply integrated within society, it is likely that a computer or similar type device will play a role in criminal activity. A basic understanding of computers is all that investigators will need to learn that computer crime is just plain old crime packaged up in a shiny new wrapper.
Computers start to play a role in crime in situations where the capabilities of the computer allow a person to commit that crime or store information related to the...
