Organised Cybercrime or Cybercrime that is Organised? An Assessment of the Conceptualisation of Financial Cybercrime as Organised Crime

TLDR

Cybercrime research has advanced, yet remains theoretically thin, with limited knowledge of actors and modus operandi, and scant evidence on whether organized crime is involved. This study aims to systematically analyze 40 financial cybercrime cases from the Netherlands, Germany, the UK, and the USA to determine whether the involved criminal networks meet the definitions of organized crime and to explore the resulting policing implications. The authors conduct a systematic case analysis of 40 incidents involving criminal networks in the banking sector across four countries. The analysis indicates that many of the examined networks satisfy key criteria for organized crime, underscoring significant implications for policing and theory.

Abstract

Criminological research over the last couple of decades has improved our understanding of cybercrimes. However, this body of research is regarded as still theoretically thin and not fully developed; more knowledge on the actors involved, their characteristics, and modus operandi is needed. Some publications recently suggested that organised crime is or might be involved in cybercrimes, which would have important policing implications, but evidence-based research on this point is still scarce and inconclusive. This article seeks to further this path of inquiry by providing a systematic analysis of 40 cases from The Netherlands, Germany, UK, and USA where criminal networks were involved in financial cybercrimes affecting the banking sector. It also assesses whether and to what extent these criminal networks meet the definitions of organised crime and discusses the theoretical and policing implications of our findings.