By Alfonso Valenzuela Aguilera

Crime exhibits specific geographical and chronological patterns in Latin American cities, and data on criminal activity allows scholars to trace spatial and chronological patterns down to specific neighborhoods and certain hours of the day in these cities. Over the last three decades, numerous studies have explored the relationship between crime, space, and time, and some studies have even established strong correlations between different patterns of land use and specific types of crimes. Few of these studies, however, have focused on the spatial configurations of criminal activity in cities and the conditions that elicit criminal activity in certain locations. Using recent crime data for Mexico City, this study employs a methodology based on crime location quotients to establish correlations that spatially characterize crime. This information can substantially improve public safety policies applied to urban contexts.

Houston, TX: Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, 2020. 25p.

By Ahmad Ilderim Tokey

Objectives: This study expands the literature by finding the associations of land use (LU) and road-related Built Environment with property and violent crime in Detroit from 2019-to 2021 and documenting if the relationships have changed during COVID-19. Method: This study uses property and violent crime location data from 2019 to 2021. It then builds Geographically Weighted Regression and Spatial Error Models to formalize the BE-crime relationship. Results: Findings indicate that multifamily LU and liquor stores are related to property crime but not much to violent crime. The retail and office LU proportion, bus stop density, and density of roads less than 40 miles per hour are positively linked with crime rates. Reversely, block groups' median income, population density, and tenure length are inversely associated with crime rates. The local association over the year is consistent for property crime but varied substantially for violent crime. In the low-income neighborhoods, single-family got more associated with violent crime during the pandemic while in a high-income neighborhood, single-family LU revealed a negative association with violent crime. Further, areas, where retail LU had a strong positive relationship with violent crime rates in 2019, attracted more crime afterward. The high bus stop densities downtown got more positively associated with violent crime in 2020-21 than in pre-pandemic time. Conclusion: This study advances understanding related to the BE-crime relationship, sheds new light on street-related BE, and documents the links between BE and crime. For local

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  policymakers in Detroit, this study leaves essential evidence that can help them make an informed move in the later stages of COVID-19.

Columbus, OH: Ohio State University, Department of Geography, 2022. 38p.

By Franklin E. Zimring

Many theories--from the routine to the bizarre--have been offered up to explain the crime decline of the 1990s. Was it record levels of imprisonment? An abatement of the crack cocaine epidemic? More police using better tactics? Or even the effects of legalized abortion? And what can we expect from crime rates in the future? Franklin E. Zimring here takes on the experts, and counters with the first in-depth portrait of the decline and its true significance. The major lesson from the 1990s is that relatively superficial changes in the character of urban life can be associated with up to 75% drops in the crime rate. Crime can drop even if there is no major change in the population, the economy or the schools. Offering the most reliable data available, Zimring documents the decline as the longest and largest since World War II. It ranges across both violent and non-violent offenses, all regions, and every demographic. All Americans, whether they live in cities or suburbs, whether rich or poor, are safer today.

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  Casting a critical and unerring eye on current explanations, this book demonstrates that both long-standing theories of crime prevention and recently generated theories fall far short of explaining the 1990s drop. A careful study of Canadian crime trends reveals that imprisonment and economic factors may not have played the role in the U.S. crime drop that many have suggested. There was no magic bullet but instead a combination of factors working in concert rather than a single cause that produced the decline. Further--and happily for future progress, it is clear that declines in the crime rate do not require fundamental social or structural changes. Smaller shifts in policy can make large differences. The significant reductions in crime rates, especially in New York, where crime dropped <em>twice the national average, suggests that there is room for other cities to repeat this astounding success. In this definitive look at the great American crime decline, Franklin E. Zimring finds no pat answers but evidence that even lower crime rates might be in store.

New York; Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2007. 258p..

Edited by Richard F. Wetzell.

”There is a notable asymmetry between the early modern and modern German historiographies of crime and criminal justice. Whereas most early modern studies have focused on the criminals themselves, their socioeconomic situations, and the meanings of crime in a particular urban or rural milieu, late modern studies have tended to focus on penal institutions and the discourses of prison reformers, criminal law reformers, criminologists, and psychiatrists.”

Open Access Book (2018) 325p.

By Thomas J. Holt and Olga Smirnova

As consumers and businesses have come to rely on computers and the Internet to buy and sell, manage finances, and retain customer information, opportunities for financial data theft and fraud have skyrocketed. Recent evidence suggests that cybercriminals often buy and sell stolen credit card, bank and online account data through online discussion forums.

A Michigan State University study examined how cybercriminals use international Web forums as advertising spaces for buying and trading stolen financial information, especially credit cards. Researchers analyzed almost 2,000 discussion threads from 13 easily accessible Web forums, 10 of which use Russian as their primary language and three of which use English. The study found that cybercriminals often group information from tens to hundreds of bank and credit card accounts into “dumps” that they then sell for an average of $100. Dumps were the most common product sold (44.7 percent), followed by CVV (card verification value code) data from credit cards (34.9 percent), and various forms of electronic data, such as eBay and PayPal account information (1.4 percent).

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  Most of the data came from continental European nations, but much also came from Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. The more data available from a country, the lower the price. Bank account data from the European Union, for example, sold for about $4, whereas data from the U.S. sold for about $5.

  The forums are particularly collaborative and social in nature, unlike traditional crime networks, such as the Italian Mafia or Yakuza. Participation costs little, and cybercriminals of various skill levels can find the products and services they want through a range of sellers.

  The lack of hierarchy suggests that law enforcement attempts to target individuals would cause little disruption to the overall network. Instead, the study proposes that one of the most effective mechanisms to disrupt the sale of stolen data may be law enforcement investigation into the payment systems the criminals use, such as WebMoney and Liberty Reserve.Description text goes here

East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University, 2014. 156p.

By Kevin Poulsen

Former hacker Kevin Poulsen has, over the past decade, built a reputation as one of the top investigative reporters on the cybercrime beat. In Kingpin, he pours his unmatched access and expertise into book form for the first time, delivering a gripping cat-and-mouse narrative—and an unprecedented view into the twenty-first century’s signature form of organized crime. The word spread through the hacking underground like some unstoppable new virus: Someone—some brilliant, audacious crook—had just staged a hostile takeover of an online criminal network that siphoned billions of dollars from the US economy. The FBI rushed to launch an ambitious undercover operation aimed at tracking down this new kingpin; other agencies around the world deployed dozens of moles and double agents. Together, the cybercops lured numerous unsuspecting hackers into their clutches. . . . Yet at every turn, their main quarry displayed an uncanny ability to sniff out their snitches and see through their plots. The culprit they sought was the most unlikely of criminals: a brilliant programmer with a hippie ethic and a supervillain’s double identity. As prominent “white-hat” hacker Max “Vision” Butler, he was a celebrity throughout the programming world, even serving as a consultant to the FBI. But as the black-hat “Iceman,” he found in the world of data theft an irresistible opportunity to test his outsized abilities. He infiltrated thousands of computers around the country, sucking down millions of credit card numbers at will. He effortlessly hacked his fellow hackers, stealing their ill-gotten gains from under their noses.

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  . Together with a smooth-talking con artist, he ran a massive real-world crime ring. And for years, he did it all with seeming impunity, even as countless rivals ran afoul of police. Yet as he watched the fraudsters around him squabble, their ranks riddled with infiltrators, their methods inefficient, he began to see in their dysfunction the ultimate challenge: He would stage his coup and fix what was broken, run things as they should be run—even if it meant painting a bull’s-eye on his forehead. Through the story of this criminal’s remarkable rise, and of law enforcement’s quest to track him down, Kingpin lays bare the workings of a silent crime wave still affecting millions of Americans. In these pages, we are ushered into vast online-fraud supermarkets stocked with credit card numbers, counterfeit checks, hacked bank accounts, dead drops, and fake passports. We learn the workings of the numerous hacks—browser exploits, phishing attacks, Trojan horses, and much more—these fraudsters use to ply their trade, and trace the complex routes by which they turn stolen data into millions of dollars. And thanks to Poulsen’s remarkable access to both cops and criminals, we step inside the quiet, desperate arms race that law enforcement continues to fight with these scammers today. Ultimately, Kingpin is a journey into an underworld of startling scope and power, one in which ordinary American teenagers work hand in hand with murderous Russian mobsters and where a simple Wi-Fi connection can unleash a torrent of gold worth millions.Description text goes here

New York: Crown Publishing, 211. 288p.

By Nir Kshetri

This book is about the global cybercrime industry, which according to some estimates, is a US$1 trillion industry and is growing rapidly. It examines economic and institutional processes in the cybercrime industry, provides insights into the entrepreneurial aspect of firms engaged in cyber-criminal activities, takes a close look at cybercrime business models, explains the global variation in the pattern of cybercrimes and seeks to understand threats and countermeasures taken by key actors in this industry. This book’s distinguishing features include the newness, importance, controversiality and complexity of the topic; cross-disciplinary focus, orientation and scope; theory-based but practical and accessible to the wider audience; and illustration of various qualitative and quantitative aspects of the global cybercrime industry.

Cham: Springer, 2010. 252p.

Edited by Emilio C. Viano

This timely book provides contributions on international, comparative crime phenomena: gangs, trafficking, fear of crime, and crime prevention. It highlights contributions originally prepared for the XVII World Congress of Criminology and for the 2015 Cybercrime Conference in Oñati, Spain which have been selected, reviewed, and adapted for inclusion in this volume.

The work features international contributors sharing the latest research and approaches from a variety of global regions. The first part examines the impact of gangs on criminal activities and violence. The second part explores illegal trafficking of people, drugs, and other illicit goods as a global phenomenon, aided by the ease of international travel, funds transfer, and communication. Finally, international approaches to crime detection prevention are presented. The work provides case studies and fieldwork that will be relevant across a variety of disciplines and a rich resource for future research.

This work is relevant for researchers in criminology and criminal justice, as well as related fields such as international and comparative law, public policy, and public health.

Cham: Springer, 2017. 378p.

Edited by Babak Akhgar and Ben Brewster

This book comprises an authoritative and accessible edited collection of chapters of substantial practical and operational value. For the very first time, it provides security practitioners with a trusted reference and resource designed to guide them through the complexities and operational challenges associated with the management of contemporary and emerging cybercrime and cyberterrorism (CC/CT) issues.

Benefiting from the input of three major European Commission funded projects the book's content is enriched with case studies, explanations of strategic responses and contextual information providing the theoretical underpinning required for the clear interpretation and application of cyber law, policy and practice, this unique volume helps to consolidate the increasing role and responsibility of society as a whole, including law enforcement agencies (LEAs), the private sector and academia, to tackle CC/CT.

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  This new contribution to CC/CT knowledge follows a multi-disciplinary philosophy supported by leading experts across academia, private industry and government agencies. This volume goes well beyond the guidance of LEAs, academia and private sector policy documents and doctrine manuals by considering CC/CT challenges in a wider practical and operational context. It juxtaposes practical experience and, where appropriate, policy guidance, with academic commentaries to reflect upon and illustrate the complexity of cyber ecosystem ensuring that all security practitioners are better informed and prepared to carry out their CC/CT responsibilities to protect the citizens they serve.Description text goes here

Cham: Springer, 2016. 323p.

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Edited by Thomas J. Holt and Adam M. Bossler

This Major Reference Work synthesizes the global knowledge on cybercrime from the leading international criminologists and scholars across the social sciences. The constant evolution of technology and our relationship to devices and their misuse creates a complex challenge requiring interdisciplinary knowledge and exploration. This work addresses this need by bringing disparate areas of social science research on cybercrime together. It covers the foundations, history and theoretical aspects of cybercrime, followed by four key sections on the main types of cybercrime: cyber-trespass, cyber-deception/theft, cyber-porn and obscenity, and cyber-violence, including policy responses to cybercrime. This work will not only demonstrate the current knowledge of cybercrime but also its limitations and directions for future study.

Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010. 1467p.

By Eddy Willems

This book describes the key cybercrime threats facing individuals, businesses, and organizations in our online world. The author first explains malware and its origins; he describes the extensive underground economy and the various attacks that cybercriminals have developed, including malware, spam, and hacking; he offers constructive advice on countermeasures for individuals and organizations; and he discusses the related topics of cyberespionage, cyberwarfare, hacktivism, and anti-malware organizations, and appropriate roles for the state and the media. The author has worked in the security industry for decades, and he brings a wealth of experience and expertise. In particular he offers insights about the human factor, the people involved on both sides and their styles and motivations. He writes in an accessible, often humorous way about real-world cases in industry, and his collaborations with police and government agencies worldwide, and the text features interviews with leading industry experts. The book is important reading for all professionals engaged with securing information, people, and enterprises. It’s also a valuable introduction for the general reader who wants to learn about cybersecurity.

Cham: Springer Nature, 2019. 231p.

By Jonathan Clough

We live in a digital age. The proliferation of digital technology, and the convergence of computing and communication devices, has transformed the way in which we socialise and do business. While overwhelmingly positive, there has also been a dark side to these developments. Proving the maxim that crime follows opportunity, virtually every advance has been accompanied by a corresponding niche to be exploited for criminal purposes; so-called 'cybercrimes'. Whether it be fraud, child pornography, stalking, criminal copyright infringement or attacks on computers themselves, criminals will find ways to exploit new technology. The challenge for all countries is to ensure their criminal laws keep pace. The challenge is a global one, and much can be learned from the experience of other jurisdictions. Focusing on Australia, Canada, the UK and the US, this book provides a comprehensive analysis of the legal principles that apply to the prosecution of cybercrimes.

Cambridge, UK; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010. 505p.

By Majid Yar

Cybercrime and Society provides a clear, systematic, and critical introduction to current debates about cybercrime. It locates the phenomenon in the wider contexts of social, political, cultural, and economic change. It is the first book to draw upon perspectives spanning criminology, sociology, law, politics, and cultural studies to examine the whole range of cybercrime issues.

Thousand Oaks, CA; London: SAGE, 2006. 200p.

By United States. Department of the Treasury

From the Introduction: "This action plan responds to Section 7(c) of Executive Order (E.O.) 14067, 'Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets,' which calls for the development of a coordinated interagency action plan for mitigating the digital-asset-related illicit finance and national security risks as identified in the U.S. government's National Strategy for Combating Terrorist and Other Illicit Financing (Illicit Financing Strategy). [...] E.O. 14067 recognizes that digital assets may pose significant illicit financing risks and commits the U.S. government to mitigating these and any other national security risks. This action plan identifies priority and supporting actions to support this commitment in line with the priorities and supporting actions identified in the Illicit Financing Strategy specific to uncovering and mitigating the misuse of digital assets by illicit actors. These priority actions include monitoring risks, working with international partners to improve cooperation on and implementation of international AML/CFT [anti-money-laundering/countering-the-financing-of-terrorism] standards, strengthening our regulations and operational frameworks, and improving private sector compliance and information sharing, among others. The action plan begins with an overview of the illicit financing risks and U.S. government efforts to mitigate these risks before laying out these priority actions."

United States. Department of the Treasury. 2022-09-16. 20p.

By Erica Moret

No country in the world is immune to the devastating impacts of modern slavery and human trafficking. Representing one of the world’s most profitable criminal enterprises, it generates some USD 150 billion per year. Addressing the financial angle of these gross human rights abuses is recognized as an essential approach in tackling the problem. The engagement of the financial sector, alongside the use of several financial-related policy instruments, plays a vital role. This includes measures to counter money laundering and the financing of terrorism.

This report, commissioned by the Finance Against Slavery and Trafficking (FAST) initiative at United Nations University Centre for Policy Research (UNU-CPR), is based on 18 anonymized semi-structured interviews with officials from the UN, US, EU, UK, and Canada, financial institution representatives and experts on sanctions, modern slavery and human trafficking, transnational organized crime, supply chains, and corporate governance.

This report outlines a number of key findings and recommendations on the use of sanctions to target modern slavery and human trafficking.

New York: United Nations University, 2022. 64p.

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By Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings

The paper aims to leverage off of the strengths and successes of established but disparate anti-THB financial investigatory practices, developed across the OSCE participating States, to raise awareness of the strategic value of financial investigations and the resources available, and to help create a more harmonised approach that can contribute to mainstreaming of financial investigations across the OSCE region.

Vienna: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, 2019. 68p.

By Calum Inverarity, Gareth Price, Courtney Rice and Christopher Sabatini

Travel restrictions and lockdowns have forced changes to the traditional means illicit groups have used to launder their ill-gotten profits. This paper explores whether COVID-19 may have affected these processes through three main channels: increased reliance on cryptocurrencies to move and launder funds tied to illicit activity; the expanded use of the internet through e-commerce sites to continue and expand trade mispricing practices to move illicit funds; and the use of FinTech and peer-to-peer payment services to transfer illicit funds.

Miami: Florida International University, 2021. 37p.

By The Global Initiative AGainst Transnational Organized Crime and InSight Crime

In parts of Central America, extortion has become so endemic that it is now a feature of the daily socio-economic life of citizens, businesses and the fabric of the state. The pervasive impunity and weakness of state institutions to combat extortion have meant that, for many central American communities, extortion, or the threat of it, has become a normalized facet of life – a form of violent, omnipresent, criminally enforced taxation – and its effects are far-reaching on a personal, economic and societal level. For the violent, armed street gangs that continually threaten and harass communities in the Northern Triangle countries (El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras) – a region that is the main focus of this report – the extortion market is the main security threat to those countries and one of the principal sources of criminal income. These gangs have bred a criminal regional economy on such a scale that extortion forms a sizeable tranche of some Northern Triangle countries’ GDP. The revenue from extortion has provided some gangs in the region with a solid economic operating base, and at the same time allowed them to diversify into other criminal enterprises, including drug trafficking, and human smuggling and trafficking, which means that they have consolidated their influence over broader transnational organized-crime networks operating in the region. Meanwhile, extortion revenue is laundered through investments in formal businesses, extending the gangs’ economic stranglehold over the communities they target.

Geneva: Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, 2019. 70p.

By Lucia Dammer

Extortion is a phenomenon that can be understood from various disciplines, such as economics, criminology, the political sciences, and sociology. Each of these fields of knowledge emphasizes either the system or economic models under which extortionists and victims operate, the short- or long-term relationship sought by establishing simple or complex extortion mechanisms, the political relationship between extortionists and victims, or citizens’ perceptions of the institutional framework, which can serve as a gateway for criminal groups to create ties of protection through extortion. This report sheds light on the importance of extortive practices in Latin America. It is based on qualitative research since 2019. The report shows that extortive practices are a region-wide trend, albeit with national, specific characteristics. Although it is primarily a non-violent crime, an increasing tendency—specifically linked to practices against women—should make it a priority for the public security agenda.

Miami: Florida International University, Research Publications 47, 2021. 22p.

By Steve Tombs and David Whyte

Drawing upon a wide range of sources of empirical evidence, historical analysis and theoretical argument, this book shows beyond any doubt that the private, profit-making, corporation is a habitual and routine offender. The book dissects the myth that the corporation can be a rational, responsible, 'citizen'. It shows how in its present form, the corporation is permitted, licensed and encouraged to systematically kill, maim and steal for profit. Corporations are constructed through law and politics in ways that impel them to cause harm to people and the environment. In other words, criminality is part of the DNA of the modern corporation. Therefore, the authors argue, the corporation cannot be easily reformed. The only feasible solution to this 'crime' problem is to abolish the legal and political privileges that enable the corporation to act with impunity.

Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon; New York: Routledge, 2015. 226p.