Cybercrime : the role of the Maltese law enforcement towards internet fraud

Abstract

During the past years, Internet has been one of the most crucial tools in various areas such as researching, education, business, entertainment and communication. This technology has been abused in ways that has introduced new threats to internet users. These threats are known as cyber crimes. Cyber crimes can include the distribution of child pornography, hacking, cyber stalking, cyber terrorism and others. One major type of cyber crime is Internet Fraud. Internet fraud is the committing of traditional fraud through the use or the assistance of the Internet. It consists of various types such as scams, phishing websites, payment card fraud and others. In order to mediate such crime, the Malta Police Force during the years has launched two specialized divisions that are the Cyber Crime Unit and the Economic Crime Unit. These two divisions are both related to the type of crime mentioned above. The purpose of this study is to analyse and find out what are the roles of these two units regarding Internet Fraud. Through an intense research from different writings and the results of interviews, it should provide recommendations on what are the duties and techniques to investigate internet fraud and what are the main problems they encounter.