Perspectives of internet fraud challenges for law enforcement

Abstract

The objectives of this research are to assess the current state of affairs in relation to Internet Fraud and the difficulties faced by the Police when pursuing the criminals who purport such devious actions. Academic literature studying this niche is minimal, evermore since each country has its own challenges coupled with some that are common with other countires. Most issues faced are shrouded in secrecy in order not to publicise the areas in which the law enforcement agencies struggle to keep abreast with the criminals giving them further opportunity to keep the upper hand in the situation. Thus the purpose of this study is to examine current practices considering the current ability of the Police to identify, investigate and prosecute criminals. The study therefore aims to address this lacuna and take an exploratory approach to present a descriptive recount of the hype, possibly in layman terms. This aim is pursued by drawing in on a qualitative approach to acquire and assess the data collected. The research process was started by eliciting information by carrying out document research from far and wide whilst performing qualitative interviews with subjects. The resultant research and analysis presented a realistic scenario of the challenges faced by law enforcement and businesses alike. This is ever more important since once must solicit the participation of all the stakeholders in order to ascertain that every angle of the problem is patched. The importance of this study derives from the so-called ‘new normal’ of remote interactions which has resulted in an estimated 30% increase in global internet traffic following the COVID-19 pandemic and a corresponding increase in cyber security incidents leaving a trail of victims reeling with psychological damages and financial losses.