Scripting the crime commission process in the illicit online prescription drug trade

Abstract

This article considers the processes in the illicit online prescription drug trade, namely search-redirection attacks and the operation of unlicensed pharmacies using crime script analysis. Empirical data have been used to describe the salient elements of the online criminal infrastructures and associated monetization paths enabling criminal profitability. This analysis reveals the existence of structural chokepoints: components of online criminal operations being limited in number, and critical for the operations' profitability. Consequently, interventions targeting such components can reduce the opportunities and incentives to engage in online crime through an increase in criminal operational costs, and in the risk of apprehension.

Understanding eWhoring

“…Crime types that are relatively new and emerging due to a strong online component have also been analysed using the crime scripting approach. Examples include the stolen data market [7], the online prescription drug trade [22], [23], credit card fraud [24], fraudulently obtained airline tickets [25], wildlife trafficking [26], and online piracy [27].…”

“…These crime script applications demonstrate the variety of data sources that can be used for analysis. These include surveys or interviews [20]- [22], [25], [26], police records [18], [22], [26], court documents [19], [27], and the infrastructure used by offenders [23], [28]. Another data source that is particularly useful for understanding cybercrimes are the forums used by offenders to trade in goods and services, as well as sharing information.…”

Combatting physical threats posed via digital means: the European Commission's developing approach to the sale of counterfeit goods on the Internet

“…13-14). The second is that through the sale online of goods posing a significant health threat to EU consumers, the Internet is used as the means of engaging in illegal activity presenting a threat to the physical security of individuals (Leontiadis and Hutchings, 2015;Mackey and Liang, 2013).…”

Taking down websites to prevent crime

“…However, they may use compromised websites to drive traffic to their store-fronts. For example, illicit pharmacies began using search redirection attacks after search engines barred their advertisements [30], [31].…”