Cybercrime Offenders: A Distinct Offender Group?

• In Event: Victims and Offenders of Cyber Crime

Abstract

The proportion cybercriminals of the total offender population is increasing. It is therefore important to know how these cybercriminals compare to the rest of the offender population. Offenders of technologically-advanced cybercrimes like hacking, DDoSing, website defacing, malware writing, etcetera, need specific technical skills that are quite distinct from the skills required for committing ‘offline’ crime. For instance, unauthorized entry into a house (burglary) is very different from unauthorized entry into a computer (hacking). These differences in modus operandi raise the question if cybercriminals are a distinct group of offenders with distinct background characteristics, or if they are comparable to other types of offenders. Up until now, studies that compare cybercriminals with other types of criminals with respect to their background characteristics are scarce. This paper uses unique longitudinal police data on all Dutch suspects of crime from the period 1996-2012. It shows how suspects of cybercrime compare to suspect of ‘offline’ crime with respect to important characteristics such as age, ethnicity, education, income, work, and how their criminal careers develop. Possible explanations for the differences and similarities and the implications for law enforcement are discussed.

Authors

• Marleen Weulen Kranenbarg, Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR)

• Stijn Ruiter, Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR)

• Jean-Louis van Gelder, Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR)

• Wim Bernasco, Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR)