Forms Of Criminal Activity Research Articles

The crime of cyber blackmail in the era of artificial intelligence

Cyber blackmail is defined as a transgression which occurs when an individual or group intimidates the victim by threatening to expose his/her personal information on social media. This form of criminal activity, which has emerged with technological advancement, particularly in the artificial intelligence (AI) domain, is not confined to any specific region or nation. The unrestricted reach of cyber blackmail necessitates the constant revision and evaluation of the laws regulating it so that these laws maintain their effectiveness when changes occur in the manner in which this offence is committed. This study comparatively analysed the validity of current cyber blackmail laws in Iraq and Malaysia through discussions emphasizing the association between cyber blackmail and AI, as well as the rules and regulations formulated to curb this crime. The systematic, comprehensive and comparative method employed for this study scrutinized the issue of cyber blackmail from all perspectives. It revealed that the will of Iraqi authorities falls short when it comes to the implementation of effective measures aimed at reining in the prevalence of cyber blackmail. These measures included reviewing the penal code or drafting laws directed at combating IT crimes. The crime of cyber blackmail involves the instilling of anxiety in the victim, with the purpose of compelling him/her to succumb to the demands of the blackmailer. We conclude this study with proposals aimed at curtailing the occurrence of cyber blackmail.

CRIMINOLOGICAL FEATURES OF PROFESSIONAL CRIME

The article is devoted to the study of the criminological features of professional crime, which is an important and relevant issue for shaping the system of measures aimed at its prevention and counteraction. Professional crime refers to the criminal activities of individuals who systematically, throughout their lives, commit criminal acts in a specific field, using the results of these activities as a means of earning or gaining profit for their livelihood. For such individuals, their specific “criminal activity” becomes a “profession” in which they develop, continually improve their criminal skills, and reach professional “heights” to maximize profits (income) and hide the traces of their criminal activities from law enforcement. The authors identifies the following characteristics of professional crime: its persistent and stable nature; the presence of “specialization” and “qualification” in the offender; the regular income (profit) from criminal activity; the offender’s constant connection with an antisocial environment; and the existence of a specific “subculture” in the form of traditions, customs, and particular “languages of communication” (slang). Based on the research, the authors has formulated a system of economic, social, political, and legal measures to prevent and counter professional crime. As part of the legal measures, the author proposes amending different articles of the Special Part of the Criminal Code of Ukraine by adding a new qualifying feature: “the commission of an act in the form of criminal activity.” Currently, the only qualifying feature in the Criminal Code of Ukraine is “repeat offense,” which applies whether two episodes of a crime have been committed or even if there have been 3-15 episodes of the same crime. This approach fails to account for the activities of professional criminals, where the commission of 3-15 crimes should be qualified as a more serious offense compared to ordinary “repeat offenses,” which only cover two episodes. The authors also suggests the creation of a separate law, the “Law of Ukraine on the Basics of Prevention and Counteraction to Professional Crime,” which would include specific sections ensuring comprehensive regulation of the issue of combating professional crime. The structure of these sections may include: 1) “General Provisions”; 2) “Subjects of Countering Professional Crime, Their Competence”; 3) “Preventive and Countermeasures Against Professional Crime”; 4) “The Identity of the Professional Criminal and Their Legal Status”; 5) “Liability for Violations in the Sphere of Countering Professional Crime”; 6) “Control and Supervision over the Enforcement of Laws in the Fight Against Professional Crime”; 7) “Final and Transitional Provisions”. In the author’s opinion, a comprehensive legislative regulation of professional crime and the formation of an effective system of measures to counter it are key to building a successful preventive criminological policy of the state in the fight against such crime.

Proliferations of Gated Communities and the Fear of Crimes: An Empirical Study of Some Select Gated Communities in Zaria and Sabon Gari Local Government Areas, Kaduna State, Nigeria

Gated communities are becoming increasingly popular in Zaria and Sabon Gari Local Government Areas of Kaduna State. The objectives of the study were to investigate the reasons for the proliferation of gated communities, and their safety and security. The study adopted the Defensible Space Theory. This article which is an empirical endeavour used the qualitative method in collecting and analysing data. In-depth interviews were conducted to elicit primary data. Key findings of the study revealed that the proliferation of gated communities was a result of the high level of insecurity and the quest for a secure community. The study further discovered that informants interviewed in the gated communities feel safe and secure against all forms of criminal activities. The study recommends that the Kaduna State government should design a policy that will make gated communities a residential development pattern in urban areas like Zaria and Sabon Gari.

On Resisting Extortion—From Everyday Resistance to Vigilantism

Abstract Resisting Extortion, by Eduardo Moncada, masterfully disentangles the logic and dimensions of criminal extortion, as well as the various ways in which communities seek to resist this and other forms of criminal activity. In this book, Moncada argues that criminals’ time horizons largely dictate the subsequent forms of civil resistance, which are simultaneously affected by the criminal capture of the police, as well as the prevailing relationships among local businesses and between businesses and political authorities. With major conceptual clarity, Moncada disentangles and reframes the complex phenomena that underlie extortion dynamics. Through careful comparative research, Moncada provides a new and fresh understanding of both extortion and collective action, across three different countries. Resisting Extortion is a major contribution at different levels, from theory development to comparative analysis, as well as a robust research design and extensive fieldwork. Readers across academic fields, along with activists and journalists, will benefit from the book’s insights on the effective organization and resistance strategies in the face of crime and insecurity.

Criminal Law Protection of a Child by means of Slovak Criminal Law and European Union Law

Background: The contribution is focused on current challenges in the criminal protection of children field by means of criminal law in the Slovak Republic and the European Union. The authors define the term, “child,” in the applicable law. They examine in detail the legal regulation of the child’s position as a victim, especially as a particularly vulnerable victim in criminal law. Attention is given to the victimisation process in relation to the specifics of the child. The legal regulation of criminal law in the Slovak Republic, as well as within the European Union, reflects the need for a special approach to the protection of children and youth, and adequate legal instruments are gradually being created and introduced. Methods: Legal comparison, content and functional analysis of legal acts, analysis of court decisions, historical analysis, and comparisons were used to process research data. Results and Conclusions: The current criminal law regulation of the status and protection of children and youth in the Slovak Raepublic requires regulation to effectively respond to new threats and risks, primarily associated with the increase of criminal activity against children in the virtual world. New forms of criminal activity by using computer technology and social networks are constantly increasing. Prevention and education are irreplaceable aspects of the protection of children and youth from crime. It is more effective to have a good prevention system than to deal with the consequences. Based on our research, we recommend introducing a subject focused on the prevention and intervention of crimes of a sexual nature into the education of school-age children. At the same time, we recommend continual building of specialized workplaces within law enforcement bodies in the Slovak Republic.

CRIMINAL GROUPS – CRIMINOLOGY AND SECURITY PERSPECTIVES (CASE STUDY: BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA)

This paper analyses court cases which qualified as organised crime in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). The final judgments were analysed according to the following criteria: the number of defendants; the continuity of membership within the crime organisation; the existence of criminal structure; the existence of a developed plan of activities; the type and number of the offences committed; influence on public authorities, the judiciary, and citizens; and sentences imposed on the defendants. This paper seeks to identify the extent to which court judgments are based on these criteria. A secondary analysis of the data related to the organised crime cases heard in the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the period between 2015 and 2018 was conducted. This analysis encompassed 21 organised crime cases in which 27 judgments were pronounced. In the observed period (2015-2018), we identified two organised criminal groups that meet the criteria analysed. The identified number of organised criminal groups is minimal in relation to the total number of organised crime cases processed. Our findings contradict the prevailing view in public discourse that organised crime is a widespread security threat in BiH. The findings of our research demonstrated the existence of legal gaps, reflected in the lack of clear criteria on the basis of which OCGs can be distinguish from other forms of criminal activity. Legal and institutional weaknesses create opportunities for OCGs to operate and create a sense of insecurity among citizens in the already complex security environment in B&H.

Transborder Crimes and the Challenges of Regional Integration in West Africa: Insights from the Nigeria-Benin Republic Borders

Transborder crimes and the operation of criminal syndicates have emerged as major threats to security and efforts to advance integration in West Africa. The proliferation of transborder criminal syndicates and rising criminal activities has made member states take steps to curtail these growing challenges, sometimeswith unintended consequences on the free flow of factors of production as enshrined in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Protocol on Free Movement. Informed by the need to understand the challenges that transborder crimes pose within a specific context, this study examinestransborder criminal activities across the Nigeria-Benin Republic border. The study assesses three forms of criminal activities along the two countries’ borderlands and their implications for the security of the two countries concerned. The qualitative method was adopted, and data for the study was derived frommostly secondary and less primary sources. These criminal activities affect the national security of the two countries and impact efforts to advance integration in the sub-region. The study recommends the implementation of joint border security reforms.

“NIGHT THUGS MAKE YOU TALK ABOUT YOURSELF AGAINˮ: SOCIO-CULTURAL FEATURES OF PROFESSIONAL CRIME IN YAROSLAVL IN THE LATE XIX - EARLY XX CENTURIES (BASED ON THE MATERIALS OF THE PERIODICAL PRESS)

The paper highlights the socio–cultural aspects of professional crime reflected in the regional press of the late XIX - early XX centuries. The author examines various forms of criminal activity and offenses on the territory of Yaroslavl. The main type of crimes of that time were crimes against property. There were four categories of professional criminals in Yaroslavl: robbers, professional thieves, swindlers, and vagrants - professional beggars. The most common were thefts from households and commercial establishments. Despite the sacrilege, churches became a regular place of embezzlement. Fraudulent operations became more complicated. The number of securities crimes has increased. The real problem of the city was a significant accumulation of beggars, including professional ones, who actively involved minors in illegal activities. Cases of open robberies and robberies occurred less frequently, but posed the greatest danger. Yaroslavl night watchmen acted ineffectively, and there were not enough police posts at night. The article concludes that along with the modernization of society and urbanization, professional crime has also changed. During the period of socio-economic and political upheavals, the variety and number of criminal acts increased.

Social Media Analysis On The Urgency Of Passing Bill Elimination Violence against Women (RUUPKS) 2022

Violence cases are a form of criminal activity regardless of age or gender. This study aims to analyze the role of Komnas Perempuan on Twitter in the urgency of ratifying the Bill on the Elimination of Violence against Women (RUUPKS) in 2022. This study uses a qualitative approach that aims to examine certain social phenomena. In addition, this research uses Qualitative Data Analysis Software (Q-DAS). Then the data were analyzed using Nvivo 12Plus software. The results obtained: First, in 2021, the KomnasPerempuan Twitter account is considered the most active in providing information about violence against women. Second, the KomnasPerempuan Twitter account produces content that demonstrates the authenticity of content. Third, the developing narrative on Twitter raises cases of sexual violence using hashtags, especially women and children. Fourth, KomnasPerempuan's Twitter content refers to four topics that are often discussed, namely information media with a percentage of 41%, participation media at 28%, narrative media at 18% and coordination media with a percentage of 13%. This research is used to complement previous research that focused on the Twitter social media activism phenomenon related to RUUPKS in the scope of human rights.

TOURISM VOLATILITY TO EXTERNAL SHOCKS

International tourism of today is considered one of the main levers of job creation, generating income and foreign currency and foreign investment. Over the past few years, international tourism has been growing steadily, but at the same time this same growth is threatened by challenges in the form of various external shocks affecting the volatility of tourism. Volatility is described, according to many authors, as an unpredictable measure of the intensity of variations. These variations are associated with unpredictable crisis situations or events commonly referred to as ‘new shocks’ (e.g. terrorism, epidemics, natural disasters, exchange rate volatility, oil price, political (in)stability, wars, and various forms of criminal activities). Such global events have a profound impact on a wide range of political, legal and social dimensions. Tourism is extremely vulnerable to various external and internal shock e. The appearance of exogenous events in destinations changes the characteristics of tourism at the destination level, affecting the tourist demand, but also on the economic situation of the country.

Detecting dodgy behaviour: The role of autism, autistic traits and theory of mind.

Difficulties in reading others' minds make it difficult to anticipate their future behaviour. It has often been argued that such difficulties contribute to autistic individuals becoming enmeshed in criminal activity. However, supportive scientific evidence is virtually non-existent. We compared the ability of groups of autistic and non-autistic adults of similar intellectual ability to detect dodgy or suspicious behaviour across a wide range of scenarios. Although the autistic group performed more poorly than the non-autistic group on an established measure of mindreading, there were no group differences in the ability to detect dodginess. Nor did we find any evidence that detecting dodgy behaviour was associated with the degree of autistic traits reported by individual participants. However, when we combined the two groups, difficulty reading the minds of others was indeed associated with poorer detection of dodginess, thus highlighting a characteristic of individuals that may well increase the likelihood of becoming involved in crime or exploited for autistic and non-autistic individuals alike.

Willingness to sacrifice among convicted Islamist terrorists versus violent gang members and other criminals

Is terrorism just another form of criminal activity, as many nations’ justice systems assume? We offer an initial answer using face-to-face interviews and structured surveys in thirty-five Spanish prisons. Recent theories of extreme sacrifice inform this direct observational and comparative study. Islamist terrorists display levels of self-sacrifice for their primary reference group similar to that of Latino gangs, but greater willingness to sacrifice for primary values than other inmates (non-radical Muslims, Latino gangs, and delinquent bands). This disposition is motivated by stronger perceived injustice, discrimination, and a visceral commitment to such values (risk/radicalization factors). Nevertheless, state authorities, prison staff, and families are (protective/de-radicalization) factors apt to reduce willingness to sacrifice and keep foreign fighters, now being released in large numbers, from returning to terrorism.

Crime Film and the City: Imagining Toronto through Entanglements of Place, Culture, and Crime

ABSTRACT Crime films set in Toronto over the past two decades represent the city through a lens of crime and criminality and establish a cultural identity for it within the national imaginary. Drawing on material from interviews with key film directors as well as visual and narrative film analysis, this article traces three predominant images of Toronto: 1) a cold, prosperous, post-industrial center for a calculated, sophisticated pursuit of criminality; 2) a cosmopolitan, creative city where crime is akin to a craft; and 3) a multicultural metropolis of distinctive ethnic enclaves linked to criminal collectives. The analysis reveals how each image presents different facets of the global, post-industrial city, while drawing attention to its ambivalence. In these images, Toronto becomes a place where emerging cultural economies entwine with symbolic forms of criminal activity, new middle-class lifestyles have unintended criminal effects, and the promise of multicultural urbanism is dashed by the policing of incommensurable differences.

Отдельные вопросы квалификации действий, дезорганизующих деятельность учреждений, обеспечивающих изоляцию от общества (ст. 321 УК РФ)

Crimes committed in correctional institutions pose a serious problem, undermining the penitentiary system, preventing the attainment of the punishment objective, destabilizing the situation in the institutions of confinement, adversely impacting the behavior of convicts. Currently, 58% of convicts in the institutions of confinement have been convicted more than once; 47% are serving their sentences for committing grave and especially grave crimes; numerous negative groupings are formed in correctional colonies, adhering to the criminal traditions. Two forms of criminal activity - organized and common - have merged in the places of confinement with their “ideology of the underworld”. Together with that, the ideology of the underworld results in a kind of “seizure of power”, when correctional colonies and their contingent begin to serve sentences by correctional law, i.e. nowadays, there is a confrontation of “us and them”. The correctional colonies operating according to the norms of “criminal subcultures” are defined as “black”, while those operating by the norms of the correctional law and the Internal Regulations are defined as “red”. The task of the “criminalist” is to spread their influence over the majority of convicts in order to seize power in correctional institutions. One of such actions of convicts in the institutions of confinement aimed at reorienting correctional colonies is disorganizing the activities of the institutions that ensure isolation from society. Though the actions to disorganize the activities make only 2-3% of the total number of crimes in the institutions of confinement, they are of a high social danger and cause significant harm to the correction of convicts and crime prevention. It should not be forgotten that an important role in the prevention of crimes in the institutions of confinement belongs to criminal law measures, since Part 1 of Art. 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation provides for the preventive function of criminal legislation, yet the guaranteed fight against crime depends on the content of the criminal law norm and the level of law enforcement. Based on the name of Art. 321 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, it is clear that this criminal law norm regulates and protects such social relations that are designed to ensure the activities of institutions executing criminal sentences in the form of imprisonment by court verdict.

Cyberbullying – A Critical Analysis of Laws, Criminal Responsibility and Jurisdiction

It is vital to look upon the data of Cyber Bullying cases and the age for which the accused is held responsible. Statistics reveals that criminal minded people who are on the borderline of the ‘age’ who could be charged under IPC for some blunt crimes are being treated liberally. Cyberbullying, also known as Internet bullying, is a form of criminal activity that falls under the broadcategory of cybercrime. Since there are different types of cyberbullying and abuse, it’s crucial to know what counts as “cyberbullying.” If we look at the dictionary meaning of a bully, we can see that it is described as “seek to hurt, threaten, or coerce - someone perceived as vulnerable”. Bullying is described as any individual or group of individuals who seeks to injure, coerce, intimidate, or threaten another.Such actions or action are most commonly seen on social media sites as well as in chat boxes and gaming websites. Cyberbullying occurs when an individual or group of people bullies or harasses another person using digital technology on the internet or in another digital sphere. This can include things like posting private photographs and videos without permission, creating fake accounts and spamming groups or individuals online, body shaming, making memes and videos of people, often celebrities, making mess ups or slips, and so on. According to a 2016 UNICEF survey, one in every three internet users worldwide is a child, while the latest ‘India Internet Report 2019’ indicates that two out of every 3internet users in India are between the ages of 12 and 29. As a result of their psychological nature, this community of internet users is often targeted by online bullies. The number of incidents of cyberbullying and abuse has increased as a result. Indian women and teenagers became the victim of Cyberbullying and cases increased by 36% in just one year.

Ending Corporate Anonymity: Beneficial Ownership, Sanctions Evasion, and What the United Nations Should Do About It

In the vast majority of jurisdictions around the world, there is a generous array of corporate forms available to persons and companies looking to do business. These entities come with varying degrees of regulation regarding how much information about the businesses’ principal owners must be disclosed at the time of registration and how much of that information is subsequently available to the public. There is little policy harmonization around the world on this matter. Dictators and despots have long taken advantage of this unintended identity shield to evade sanctions which target them; in July of 2019, the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS) published a comprehensive, investigative report into North Korea’s supply chain for luxury vehicles outlawed by U.N.S.C resolution 1718. C4ADS found eighty-two previously unreported shipments of 803 luxury vehicles – including two armored Mercedes limousines Kim Jong-Un was later pictured in – between 2015 and 2017 alone. At least twenty-four corporate entities, mostly based in China and Russia, participated in the process of covertly moving the cars to North Korea as guarantors, consignors, or consignees. Hugh Griffiths, Senior Researcher and Head of Countering Illicit Trafficking-Mechanism Assessment Program at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute and coordinator for the U.N. panel convened to monitor North Korean sanctions compliance, summed up the significance of the problem succinctly. “If you can smuggle luxury limos into North Korea, which is done by shipping container,” he says, “that means you can smuggle in smaller components – dual-use items for ballistic and nuclear programs.” Deficient beneficial ownership protections around the world are not just the esoteric consequence of complicated legal systems; they present a significant threat to international peace and security as a vehicle for terrorism financing, sanctions evasion, and other forms of criminal activity. In six parts, this paper considers the development of beneficial ownership regulation since the 1990s, describes current efforts to harmonize jurisdiction-specific approaches, suggests more intensive involvement by the United Nations, establishes the legal basis for the use of the U.N. Security Council’s legislative powers on this issue, and argues that the United Nations is the international organization best-suited to drive towards universal, international compliance with the modern regulatory consensus.

A Man’s world? Comparing the structural positions of men and women in an organized criminal network

The crime gender gap is the difference between the levels of participation of men and women in crime, with men responsible for more crime than women. Recent evidence suggests that the crime gender gap is closing, both in crime in general and in organized crime. However, organized crime differs from other forms of criminal activity in that it entails an organizational structure of cooperation among offenders. Assessing whether the gender gap in organized crime is narrowing is not only about the overall levels of involvement of women, but about their roles and positions within the organized criminal structure, because the involvement of women does not mean that they are in influential positions, or that they have power or access to resources important for the commission of organized crime. This paper uses a social network approach to systematically compare the structural positions of men and women in an organized criminal network. We use a dataset collected by Canadian Law Enforcement consisting of 1390 individuals known or suspected to be involved in organized crime, 185 of whom are women. Our analysis provides evidence for an ongoing gender gap in organized crime, with women occupying structural positions that are generally associated with a lack of power. Overall, women are less present in the network, tend to collaborate with other women rather than with men, and are more often in the disadvantageous position of being connected by male intermediaries. Implications for theory and law enforcement practice are discussed.

Kekerasan Terhadap Anak dalam Perspektif Kriminologi Di Kecamatan Tobelo Kabupaten Halmahera Utara

Children are the nation’s next generation who need to be protected from various forms of violence. The enactment of the law on the elimination of violence in household and the child protection law does not always directly proportional to the loss of violent behavior towards children. In this paper, the legal issue that will be examined is how the perspective of criminology in overcoming violence against children in Tobelo Subdistrict North Halmahera Regency. Then, to answer the legal issues used nondoctrinal legal research methods with a socio legal research approach that is supported by the statute approach. This approach is considered appropriate because the data on cases of violence against children in Tobelo sub-district will be described and then analyzed from this data to obtain a legal prescription on how the criminology views various forms of violence against children. The results showed that in 2015 to 2018 in Tobelo Subdistrict, North Halmahera Regency, there were 57 cases of violence against children. Besides, violence against children is a form of criminal activity in which the offender can be held liable either through general or special crimes.

A Man\u2019s world? Comparing the structural positions of men and women in an organized criminal network

The crime gender gap is the difference between the levels of participation of men and women in crime, with men responsible for more crime than women. Recent evidence suggests that the crime gender gap is closing, both in crime in general and in organized crime. However, organized crime differs from other forms of criminal activity in that it entails an organizational structure of cooperation among offenders. Assessing whether the gender gap in organized crime is narrowing is not only about the overall levels of involvement of women, but about their roles and positions within the organized criminal structure, because the involvement of women does not mean that they are in influential positions, or that they have power or access to resources important for the commission of organized crime. This paper uses a social network approach to systematically compare the structural positions of men and women in an organized criminal network. We use a dataset collected by Canadian Law Enforcement consisting of 1390 individuals known or suspected to be involved in organized crime, 185 of whom are women. Our analysis provides evidence for an ongoing gender gap in organized crime, with women occupying structural positions that are generally associated with a lack of power. Overall, women are less present in the network, tend to collaborate with other women rather than with men, and are more often in the disadvantageous position of being connected by male intermediaries. Implications for theory and law enforcement practice are discussed.

Detection of phishing attacks using the anti-phishing framework

. In the area of computer security, phishing is a form of criminal activity that involves obtaining sensitive data, such as access data for banking applications, e-commerce applications (such as eBay or PayPal) or credit card information, using techniques to manipulate the identity data of a person or institution. A phishing attack consists of sending the attacker an electronic message, using instant messaging software or telephone, in which the user is advised to give his confidential data to win certain prizes, or is informed that they are prizes. necessary due to technical errors that led to the loss of the original data. According to the reports of the AntiPhishing Working Group (APWG) published in December 2018, phishing against banking and the payment processor was high. Almost all phishy URLs use HTTPS and use redirects to avoid detection. This paper is a comparative survey of the available methods for detecting phishing sites. There has been a comparative study of anti-phishing tools and their limitations have been found. An anti-phishing model, a framework to help detect these attacks, is discussed. The identification of this type of attack is a very important problem considering that, at present, people carry out many online transactions regarding money transfer, payment of bills or purchases.