ABSTRACT
The Internet is often referred to as the new "Wild West". This maxim holds true, because the Internet is so similar to the turn of the century Western Frontier. This chapter is intended to expand upon the existing wealth of knowledge regarding cybercrimes. Cybercrimes are not limited to businesses. The Federal Trade Commission reported that identity theft and bogus Internet scams topped the list of consumer fraud complaints in 2001. "The Department of Justice ("DOJ") defines computer crimes as 'any violations of criminal law that involve a knowledge of computer technology for their perpetration, investigation, or prosecution'". Identity theft is now being called "the signature crime of the digital era". "Identity theft is the illegal use of another's personal identification numbers". In the United States, laws intended to combat cybercrimes are already in place. Due to the nature of cybercrimes and an undeveloped international body of law on the topic, cybercrimes often occur internationally.
