Around the World

These articles feature a comparative look at policing across the globe. 

Around the World 14.1: FBI Sting Nets 24 Arrests in Online Financial Fraud

Source: Hayes, T. (2012, June 27). FBI sting nets 24 arrests in online financial fraud. USA Today: Technology, p. 3B.

“Two dozen people on four continents have been arrested in an elaborate sting targeting a black market for online financial fraud, federal officials in New York said Tuesday.” The effort was the biggest ever against hackers in the United States, Australia, Europe, and Asia charged with stealing credit card and other financial information using the Internet. Some 400,000 victims and some $205 million were involved. Investigators made 11 arrests in the United States and 13 other alleged offenders were arrested in Bosnia, the United Kingdom, Norway, Italy, Japan, and eight other countries.

  1. What steps can a private citizen take to lessen the chances of being a victim of online fraud?
  2. Does law enforcement have a responsibility to protect private citizens from fraud? Or is it simply “buyer beware?”