The Unwelcome New Trend of “Crime-sourcing”
An interesting article on O’Reilly Media discusses how the latest trends making positive transformational impact in business are also changing how less constructive types of businesses are run. Globalization, crowdsourcing and even flash mob practices are more frequently being seen in organized crime circles, as these types of groups change to adapt to the benefits of technology. These groups “historically have looked upon outsiders with great suspicion: don’t trust somebody you don’t know and who has not been vetted.” Now, with the ability to conceal identities behind a computer, they can source accomplices from around the globe.
The new trend of “crime-sourcing” can be defined as the “act of taking the whole or part of a criminal act and outsourcing it to a crowd of either witting or unwitting individuals.” The article uses a phishing operation to illustrate how this works. An organized crime group uses various brokers to obtain a webpage, e-mail list and botnet. Once bank and credit information is culled from victims, the money needs to be processed. To that they enlist the help of hired victims; someone who had been duped into participating by answering a newspaper ad offering an opportunity to “work from home” and make “quick money” as an “importer/exporter.”
Another disturbing trend is that of the “flash-rob”, where individuals are using social media to rally strangers to meet at the same time in the same place, to steal as much as they can from an unsuspecting store. The technique may be attractive partly because the intimidation from a large number of assailants is effective in itself, without necessitating violence. Unfortunately, the practice has turned violent in theU.S., with bystanders being attacked in a couple of incidents.
The good news is that crime fighters have also stayed current on new technologies and are using the same innovations to catch criminals. The age old conflict between good and evil simply continues with these modern variations.
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