Leading Forensic and Sociological Aspects in Investigating Computer Crimes

Abstract

Our paper discusses the leading features of the formation and functioning of a criminal group when committing crimes with the help of electronic payment systems. Currently, there is an increase in the number of computer crimes around the world. According to the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, the number of crimes in the IT sphere has increased. The most common are illegal access to computer information and malicious computer programs. At the same time, the number of investigated crimes is reduced. Most of these crimes, due to their technological complexity, are committed by organized groups that have their own internal connections, features, hierarchy, motives. This paper scrutinizes by what methods, methods and means these groups (members of groups, relations between them, social roles, etc.) can be investigated to build practical recommendations for law enforcement agencies to identify such groups and curb their activities. Our comparative analysis revealed the general characteristics of such groups, both in sociological theory and in criminology. Based on our own observations and analysis, it was concluded that an organized criminal group, being an independent category, and considered as an element of the forensic characteristics in forensics, meets all the characteristics of the group as a sociological phenomenon. Consequently, the methods of sociology can be used in two ways: first, to identify such groups, and second, to identify relationships and roles within groups in identifying and investigating computer crimes.