ABSTRACT
This contribution discusses the relevance of criminology and forensic sciences approaches with regard to match-fixing detection. Existing studies on match-fixing have described offenders as rational actors, oriented to maximize their benefits in a field with low-risk detection by law enforcement systems. Often, this explanation is too simplistic, as it neglects the complexity of an offense which integrates multiple actors, with different aims in different places and various criminal activity processes. In our contribution, we further elaborate the rational choice perspective on match-fixing, by integrating the concept of crime script. Through crime scripts, it is possible to disentangle the multiple scenes that integrate the offense. This study is based on the analysis of four fixed matches, resulting in four specific crime scripts and a general script together with a set of traces that may be exploited for the investigation. These scripts detailed the modus operandi used by the fixers. Integrating the criminological perspective (rational choice theory) with the forensic science perspective (the concept of trace) may be useful to support prevention policies, monitoring activities, and investigative methodologies against match manipulation.
