As Irvine residents know, the internet is a large part of everyday life in America and around the world now. With that growth comes new types of crimes. So what can be considered an internet crime in the current day?
Internet crime, also known as cybercrime, has been on the rise for years. According to Complex, there are some internet crimes that are more common than others. This includes:
- Blackmailing or extortion
- Accessing stored information or communications
- Not delivering merchandise
- Spoofing or phishing
- Harassment or bullying
- Cyber porn and drug trafficking
- Copyright infringement
Though other types of cybercrime exists, these are the categories your charges are most likely to fit into. Blackmailing or extortion includes using perceived online fame to defame or tear down another person, or threaten to do so for something of theirs in return.
Accessing stored information is what is typically known as “hacking”, and involves getting your hands on information that isn’t yours. Not delivering merchandise is promising to sell something and not following through, while cyber porn and drug trafficking deal with content that shouldn’t be sold at all.
Spoofing or phishing involves using false information about yourself to get information, money, or other things out of people. Copyright infringement involves taking someone else’s work and using it as your own. Finally, bullying and harassment online is a huge issue involving using the anonymity of the internet to harass a target verbally, or threaten them.
Today, any of these crimes can net you with pretty heavy penalties. Cybercrime is becoming more serious by the day, and it’s being treated accordingly by courts.
