99. (The snake
oil miracle workers who once had wooden stands filled with mysterious liquids and
herbs next to dusty backcountry roads have now found the power of the Internet.) These
phony websites capture the submitted credit card numbers and use the information to
purchase the staples of hackers everywhere: pizza, portable game devices, and, of course,
additional resources to build other malicious websites.
The types and seriousness of fraudulent activities that fall within the Access Device Statute
are increasing every year. The U.S. Justice Department reported in July 2006 that 6.7
percent of white-collar prosecutions that month were related to Title 18 USC 1029. The
Access Device Statute was among the federal crimes cited as violated in 17 new court cases
that were filed in the U.S. district courts in that month, ranking this set of cybercrimes
sixth overall among white-collar crimes. This level of activity represents a 340 percent
increase over the same month in 2005 (when there were only five district court filings),
and a 425 percent increase over July 2001 (when there were only four such filings).
Because the Internet allows for such a high degree of anonymity, these criminals are
generally not caught or successfully prosecuted.
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