Examining emerging fraud facilitated by the internet through crime scripts

By Benoit Leclerc and Elena Morgenthaler

The rise of the internet or, more specifically, of services offered and conducted online has led to a dramatic rise in frauds and scams. This study is a systematic review of the literature on the use of crime script analysis in the field of fraud facilitated by the internet to identify stages of the crime commission process across different forms of fraud and examine ways to disrupt those crimes. The scripts for different forms of fraud shared three common elements: communicating with the victim, recruiting enablers, and using money mules. These common elements suggest possible prevention measures. Future applications of crime scripts in the field of fraud and financial crime more broadly are discussed.

Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no. 680.

Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology. 2023. 28p.