The Pot Calling the Kettle Black: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Rippers’ Decision-Making Processes on Telegram

• In Event: Digital Technologies and Organized Crime

Abstract

The prevalence of online fraud is growing at an alarming rate. However, despite the growth in online fraud losses, there is limited investigation into online rippers’ (fraudsters who defraud other fraudsters) characteristics and tactics influencing offender victims. The existing literature examining offenders generally indicates offenders are exploitive of each other. Additionally, recent research suggests offenders are more commonly using the internet to reproduce the dangers of the physical environment online. Therefore, the current study explores the rippers’ characteristics and tactics used to victimize offender victims because these actors' characteristics and tactics regulate the growing prevalence of online fraud within the cybercrime ecosystem. Using self-collected data from online carding forums where fraudsters report rippers, this research examines rippers’ characteristics (i.e., linguistic cues) and tactics (i.e., non-delivery scams) used to victimize other fraudsters. The preliminary findings demonstrate the importance of communication among rippers and offender victims during the development of an online fraud event. This study emphasizes the need for more examinations into the actors regulating the cybercrime ecosystem to mitigate the growing prevalence of online fraud activities, especially losses.

Authors

• Tessa Cole, Georgia State University

• Volkan Topalli, Georgia State University

• Leah Daigle, Georgia State University

• Timothy E. Dickinson, The University of Texas at El Paso

• Jodi Maria Miller, Georgia State University