The document discusses the history and rise of the World Wide Web and cybercrimes. It provides statistics on internet usage globally and discusses how the practical benefits of the internet also enabled new types of cybercrimes to emerge. Rational choice theory, strain/anomie theories, and self-control theory are introduced as frameworks for understanding why individuals engage in cybercrimes like software piracy, phishing, and digital copying of movies. Specific examples of cybercrimes in Nigeria are also examined in the context of economic strain and lack of law enforcement.

1. 1

2. History: World Wide Web
• The World Wide Web was introduced
in 1991. Today, approximately a
third of the world’s population
utilizes the internet at one point
or another. With its magnificent
expansion, came practicality and a
revolution to the operation of day
to day operations.
• Real GDP per capita has risen by
$500 over the last 15 years in
countries that utilize the
internet ("The UK Cyber," 2011).
• With such practicality, a hidden
cost came associated with the
expansion of the World Wide Web.
Through the utilization and
expansion of the World Wide Web,
the world was introduced to
cybercrimes.

3. History: Cybercrimes
 Cybercrimes are more difficult to track
than street crimes due to the fact the
cyber crooks can erase all of his/her steps,
leaving no trace behind.
 Types of Cybercrimes:
 Cyber bullying
 Piracy
 Malware
 Phishing
 Child Pornography
 IdentityTheft
 It is extremely difficult for law
enforcement to implement laws to
prosecute on those who commit
cybercrimes due to jurisdiction.

4. Offenders make a rational choice to enter into a specific criminal activity by
weighing the costs and benefits of doing so and acting if the benefits outweigh
the costs.
An offender will engage in a criminal activity if possible benefits from the act
outweighs possible adverse effects.
The theory establishes normalcy among criminals and even proposes the idea
that the criminals relies on their intelligence in deciding to commit a crime.
Elements of Rational ChoiceTheory
Reasoning criminal
Crime specific focus
Independent evaluation
Rational ChoiceTheory

5. Durkheim- Anomie theory
Merton- Classic strain theory
Anomie theory refers to the breakdown of norms in society. This
breakdown leads to normlessness and explains higher rates of crime.
Classic strain theory focuses on the inability of an individual to
achieve goals, and how an individual will do what it takes to
“succeed”, even if it involves illegitimate means.
A person’s inability to attain the goals set by society, it leads to
anger and frustration and leads them to nonconformity (Konty, 2005).
 Durkheim and Merton have expressed that deviance is anticipated in a
society where social expectations are out of balance with realistic
opportunities to attain a desired aspiration (Passas, 2000).
Strain/Anomie Theories

6. Nigeria ranks as 3rd with 5.9% of the world’s cyber
crime perpetrators (Adomi & Igun, 2007).
 The Nigerian 419 scams are cybercrimes where
criminals seek monetary gains by using emails to
defraud people.
 Advance fee fraud is a popular computer crime in
Nigeria, also known as 419 scams, named after the
number used to describe that particular crime, which
is obtaining goods by pretences’ (Salu, 2004).
 A letter is formulated and sent to recipients by
promising some form of compensation once they receive
the money being requested by the victim.
 The perpetrators use Western Union Money Transfers
because it is almost an immediate way to collect the
money, and they can use false identification
documents to obtain the money (Salu, 2004).
Strain/Anomie in Nigeria
(Cont.)

7. Nigeria’s poor economy has left many of its citizens
unemployed, and desperate to attain some type of
income; 419 scams are an easy way to obtain money.
Nigerian law enforcement has neglected to enforce
cyber crimes (Adomi & Igun, 2008).
Nigeria’s economic condition puts the nation in an
anomic state, and the high unemployment rate has led
to strain, which has led many to become innovative by
obtaining money illegitimately. The inaction by law
enforcement has caused a breakdown of norms.
Strain/anomie in Nigeria

8. Gottfredson and Hirschi’s (1990) theory
Self-Control theory- is part of the decision making, and human beings are
rational to weigh the possible pleasures and pain of the consequences.
Elements of self-control:
People with low self-control- crime=immediate gratification
People with high self-control- defer gratification.
Crime –is an act of force or fraud that an individual pursues in the self-
interest pleasure. Individuals with low self-control may see crime as
presenting immediate pleasure.
Low Self-Control-is an individual’s persistent inability to resist temptation of
crime.

9. Characteristics of low-self control
Impulsiveness and insensitivity
Attraction for easy tasks, risks, and physical activities
Little long-term planning
Those characteristics may affect the calculation of the consequences of an
individual’s acts.
All of the characteristics of low self-control tend to show themselves in the
absence of nurturance, discipline, or training.
The causes of low self-control are negative rather than positive

10. Video Piracy
Global crime
Branches out from digital piracy which is defined as “the illegal copying and/or
downloading of copyrighted software (such as Microsoft Windows, Microsoft
Office, and other copyrighted programs), music, video, or other digital material
(MP3s, Hollywood movies, and digital audio books among others) (Al-Rafee &
Cronan, p.249)”.

11. Examples of Low Self-Control
Higgins’ 2005
Utilizing a nonrandom sample of university students and measures of low
self-control, software pirating peers, software pirating attitudes, and moral
beliefs towards software piracy, the results demonstrate that low self-
control had a significant link with software piracy.
Burrus, Bossler, and Holt’s (2012)
The authors applied an equation modeling to determine if both the direct
effect of low self-control and indirect effect using a fuller measure of the
social learning process on software piracy.The results showed that there
indirect effects of self-control through the social learning process on piracy
was greater than its direct effect. Also, as the levels of low self-control
increased, the probability of software piracy decreased when controlling for
social learning process.

12. Video Piracy
Ponte (2008) explains that “in recent years, the movie industry seems to be
producing yet another disaster film-Global Movie Piracy, starring menacing
theater cammers, devious downloaders, and corrupt optical disc manufacturers
(p.331-32)”.
Motion Picture Association of America (MPA) has estimated losses of about $18
billion dollars (Ponte, 2008).

13. Bootleggers vs. Illegal Copying
Bootleggers are those who record live movies in an actual theatre which may or
may not include the assistance of a cinema employee and later sending it to 2nd
and/or 3rd party that will reproduce onto a disc and distribute it to various points
(Ponte, 2008).
Illegal copying consists of copying movies straight from a DVD, VHS, and/or video
CD (Ponte, 2008).

14. Video Piracy
Being that video piracy has become a lucrative business, numerous measures have
been taken into account to stop the illegal production and distribution of movies
from legislative action to law suits yet the constant battles between the movie
industry and honest consumers make it difficult to establish laws against this
cybercrime.

15. Social LearningTheory &Video Piracy
Akers’ social learning theory is used to explain the reasons why people commit
crimes such as video piracy.
The basic argument presented here is the fact that in order for video piracy and
other cybercrimes to occur, people have to learn how to use a computer (Morris,
2012).
The process of learning according to Akers (Akers et al., 1979), includes the
process of observing, imitating, modeling, and having the behavior reinforced.
From this point on, behaviors will continue to occur depending on the positive or
negative reinforcements they may have.

16. According to Brenner (2011) The United States Patriot Act has added a
subsection which allows the U.S. government to exert extraterritorial
jurisdiction to prosecute cybercrimes outside the jurisdiction of the United
States if certain criteria are met. (p.68).
1. the offense is committed by anyone accessing a device controlled by
financial institutions or other entities within U.S. jurisdiction
2. the individual transports or is in the possession of an article used to
commit the offense within U.S. jurisdiction
Extraterritorial Jurisdiction &
Cybercrime

17. 18 USC 1028 includes offenses such as fraud & related offenses that involve
identification documents, authentication features, and information
Examples of offenses that violate 18 USC 1028 include but are not limited
to:
-Credit card skimming
-Identity theft/fraud
-Bank fraud
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1028
18 USC 1028

18. • Akers, R.L., Krohn, M.D., Lanza-Kaduce, L., & Radosevich, M. (1979). Social
learning and deviant behavior: A specific test of a general theory. American
Sociological Review, 44(4), 636-655.
• Al-Rafee, S., Cronan,T.P.(2006). Digital piracy: Factors that influence attitude
toward behavior. Journal of Business Ethics, 63, 237-259.
• Burruss, G.W., Bossier, A., & Holt, T. J. (2012). Assessing the meditiation of a
fuller social learning model on low self-control’s influence on software piracy.
Crime & Delinquency, 20 (10), 1-28. doi: 10.1177/0011128712437915.
• Cullen, F., & Agnew, R. (2011). Criminological theory: Past to present. (4th ed.).
Oxford, NY: Oxford University Press.
• Gottfredson, M.R., & Hirschi,T. (1990). A general theory of crime. Standford,
CA: Standford University Press.
• Higgins, G. E. (2005). Can low self-control help with the understanding of the
software piracy problem? Deviant Behavior, 26, 1-24.
Doi:10.1080/016396204904979747
• Ponte, L.M. (2008). Coming attractions: Opportunities and challenges in
thwarting global movie piracy. American Business Law Journal, 45(2), 331-369.
References