Law enforcement agencies are having to change the way they do business as computer crime becomes more prevalent.

Although Internet porn gets the most publicity, fraud and hacking into computer systems are more prevalent.

“People selling something over the Internet and then not delivering, we really just aren’t equipped to handle that kind of white-collar crime,” said Charlie Hipps, district attorney for the 30th Judicial Districts.

“We are just overwhelmed with the more traditional crimes, and now we have these sophisticed people committing sophisticated crimes over the Internet,” Hipps said.

Most local law enforcement agencies rely on the State Bureau of Investigation when the crime is within the borders of North Carolina. Once it goes intrastate, the FBI gets involved.

The SBI has eight computer crime specialists out of more than 300 agents. The FBI has two computer forensic experts among its 117 agents in the Carolinas.

“The local law enforcement agencies just don’t have adequate resources,” said Erik Blowers, a Charlotte FBI agent.

North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper hopes to alleviate this problem. Though he says state resources won’t come available this year, he is committed to pursuing his “Partnership on Law Enforcement and Technology.”

“It is critical that law enforcement stays up to speed with advancing technology,” Cooper said in a telephone interview from his Raleigh office.

In addition to pornography and sexual solicitation, Cooper points out that a lot of evidence for more traditional crimes — murder, robbery, etc., — exists on computer hard drives. Investigators must learn how to retrieve that information.

Cooper will announce in the next few days an initiative to invite technology companies to join forces with local and state law enforcement agencies to provide training and resources. He is also seeking federal funds for training and will open SBI laboratories to local law enforcement agencies who need computer forensics.

“This is a whole area where we need to do a better job, and we are committed to using our resources to aid local agencies,” Cooper said.

Hipps and Blowers both said that computer fraud is growing exponentially. And, Hipps said that people who make purchases through the computer need to take extra care.

“There is very little we can do if someone buys something off e-bay and then the product doesn’t live up to expectations,” Hipps said.

In addition to not having the resources to investigate all these rip-offs, Hipps said it was also important that people take some personal responsibility.

“We can’t protect everyone from everything. A lot of the complaints we get delve into the ‘buyer beware’ category,” said Hipps. “Deals turn sour and they want us to get their money back. We are out to protect the public interest, not private interests.”

Although his office looks at each case, often those who get ripped off have a better chance of obtaining a civil remedy rather than a criminal conviction.

Blowers said the FBI often is also asked to look into fraud cases that involve small amounts of money.
“If someone has lost $52, then we will look into it, but chances are we won’t do anything. Now, if a thousand people have lost $52 in the same scheme, we’ll get involved,” Blowers said.

 

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The Smoky Mountain News