Computer Crimes

Computer Crimes


     The computer has evolved a great deal since its creation over a third of a

century ago.  The uses of the computer now seem endless.  Unfortunately some of

those uses include computer crimes.  This paper will explore some recent crimes

that have occurred and the laws that apply to them.

     The first such incident took place in Russia between June and October

1994.  Six people were arrested in the scheme, in which $10 million was

allegedly shifted from Citibank to accounts in Finland, Russia, Germany, the

Netherlands, the United States, Israel, and Switzerland.  Of the $10 million

stolen, $400,000 has not been recovered.  The clients who lost money have been

reimbursed.  The Citibank system allows customers to transfer their money to

accounts at other banks.  The hackers found a way to crack the system and made

about 40 transfers of money totaling more than $10 million.  The bankšs control

system provided the tip to the fraudulent transactions.  At least one of the

hackers, who was arrested about a year ago while in San Francisco opening

accounts to receive the money, is helping investigators.  Another person

arrested is a Russian computer expert who worked at a Russian software company.

Vladimir Levin, head systems operator for AO Saturn, figured out how to get

around Citibankšs security system and transfer money out of their accounts.

Levin, of St. Petersburg, claims he should not be turned over to American

authorities because there is no evidence that any computers in the United States

were used in the scheme.  The U. S.  government says the funds were all routed

through Citibankšs wire transfer department on Wall Street.   The Justice

Department wants to charge Levin with conspiracy and fraud.  (Source: Delaware

County Daily Times, 8/21/95)

     If turned over to American authorities, Levin is subject to ordinary

tort law governing fraud.  The feeding of false information to a computer and

then using the printouts to deceive the victim comes under tort law.  The

Electronic Funds Transfer Act could also be applicable in this situation.  The

EFTA makes it a crime to use any counterfeit, stolen, or fraudulently obtained

card, code, or other device to obtain money or goods in excess of a specified

amount through an electronic fund transfer system.  The EFTA also makes it a

crime to ship such devices of goods that wer
This is ONLY a preview of the article. If you would like to view the entire document, you must subscribe to Academic Library. Please register below now!









Subscribe to Academic Library
When you subscribe to the Academic Library, you get 24-hour access to the online database containing full-text articles written by thousands of scholarly students. For only $8.95 per month, you receive unlimited monthly access to view and download all of our 40,000 articles available online. That is less than the price of one textbook!
This price includes:

24-hours-a-day, 7 days a week unlimited access on any computer with Internet access
Complete access to all 40,000 articles, essays, and research papers
Ability to view and download virtually unlimited number of documents
Ability to browse through perfectly arranged catalog of articles
Superior search and relevancy ranking techniques using Google SiteSearch and our local search engine
Instant access to the online database after registration


You can pay by credit card, checking account. You get instant access after registration:


You will be billed $ 8.95 every 30 days (recurring billing) starting on the day you subscribe.

Your credit card will automatically be renewed for your convenience until you cancel.




If you are already registered, please click here to login.