English fo MP student book

UNIT 12 – Computer Crime, Fraud and Financial Crime

Application software

Includes word-processing, spreadsheet, database (1) _________ and Internet access utilities

CERT

Computer Emergency Response Team

Decryption

The reverse of encryption, a method of (2)_____________ encrypted information so that it becomes legible again

Denial of service attack (DoS)

A digital attack that stops a computer functioning or (3) _____down its performance

Digital piracy

The unauthorised (4) _______ and resale of digital goods (e.g. software, music files)

Encryption

A method of transforming information using a cipher so that it (5)_______ illegible

Firewall

(6) _________ software that protects a computer system from unauthorised intruders

Hacking

Unauthorised access to computers

IP Spoofing

A technique used to gain unauthorised access to computers

Macro virus

A virus attached to instructions (called macros) which are (7) _______ automatically when a document is opened

Operating systems

Basic operating platform – the software foundation includes DOS, Windows or UNIX

Phreaking

Hacking the telephone system, usually to obtain free calls, by generating (8) ______

administrative commands to the network

Trojan Horse

A (9) _____________ software program that appears to be benign, but has undesired side effects. Not strictly a virus in itself, because it does not replicate

Virus

A program that attaches itself to a legitimate one, makes copies of itself and may release a ‘payload’

Worm

Similar to a virus, but runs as an independent program, rather than (10) __________ on transfer by the actions of the user

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¾ Activity 8 Crime on the Information Highways

Adapted from National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) bulletin “Project Trawler” 1999.

Which text deals with which problem?

Swamping as a form of protest

Penalties for unauthorised access

Commercial espionage

Internal hacking

Unauthorised money transfers

Non-reporting of hacking

Recreational hacking

Costs of unauthorised insider access

Extortion

1.Europe’s first case of electronic blackmail occurred in 1998 when the German Noris Verbraucher Bank offered a 10.000 DM reward for information leading to the arrest of a hacker who was blackmailing the bank. The hacker had claimed to have raided several customer accounts and to have retrieved data from the Bank’s central system. He was demanding 1million DM otherwise he would release data on the Internet.

2.To date, there have only been a few known cases of unauthorised transfers. The most notorious occurred in 1994 when the US Citibank was targetted by Russian criminals. Losses of over $400.000 were recorded and never recovered.

3.The goal of many hackers is merely to gain unauthorised access to systems and then to go no further. They are primarily motivated by the challenge offered or by wishing to show up deficiencies in security. Although their motive is relatively harmless, they may still cause damage to systems and give rise to financial loss for their targets.

4.Studies invariably show that most hacking incidents against companies and organisations are committed by insiders. In a 1999 FBI/CSI survey, 55% of respondents reported that they had experienced unauthorised access by employees and 30% had suffered system penetration from outsiders. UK surveys do not suggest as many businesses are victims there.

5.Sabotage against companies and illegal acquisition of financial documents, research and development results or other secrets are acts which aim to damage rival businesses by undermining its status or by causing it financial loss. The UK Metropolitan Police has encountered instances of employees copying company data bases and setting themselves up in competition. This copying does not (at the moment at least) constitute an offence under UK theft law.

6.Numerous reasons have been suggested for non-reporting of hacking incidentsfear of negative publicity, concern that competitors would exploit the case, fear of attracting other hackers and the lack of confidence in the law to do anything about it. In addition, there is usually the factor of the loss of the system while the investigation is carried out.

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UNIT 12 – Computer Crime, Fraud and Financial Crime

7.In the UK, unauthorised access to computer systems, programs or data is an offence under the Computer Misuse Act 1990, punishable by a fine of up to 2000 GBP, or imprisonment up to six months or both. Stiffer penalties (up to 5 years imprisonment and unlimited fines) are available for offences related to using computer systems to commit other offences or to cause unauthorised modification of a computer’s contents.

8.A widely-reported cyber-space campaign occurred in Norway in 1998; thousand of students protesting about the student loan system inundated the government with over 200.000 e-mail messages. This did not cause widespread disruption but more “skilful” protests have included altering official web-sites, demanding an end to nuclear weapons and protests by animal rights’ activists by illegally entering or blocking official sites.

9.According to the UK Department of Trade and Industry, internal hacking cost UK industry GBP 1.5 billion between 1992 and 1998 with 70% of all hacking incidents being of this type.

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UNIT 13

COMBATTING ORGANISED CRIME

Discuss with a partner.

1.What is organised crime?

2.How serious is the threat to democracy posed by organised crime?

3.Can organised crime be defeated through a government’s tough laws?

4)Which are the main activities of organised crime? And the main transnational gangs?

5)Can you give some examples of illicit drugs?

6)What are the most crucial aspects in effectively preventing corruption?

7)Which are the areas related to organised crime that demand the attention of governments?

# Exercise 1 Fighting Global Crime

Put the words given into the correct places in the following statements.

1.Transnational crime has grown ___________than international law enforcement capabilities.

2.Transnational crime thrives on _____________ alliances and shifting networks between criminal entrepreneurs.

3.Law enforcement relies __________on formal agreements between governments and national police forces.

4.The effectiveness of bodies such as Interpol and the Europol depends on the political ____________ of participating nations.

5.There is no global police force and _____________ cooperation between national crime fighters.

6.States want complete control of their security services and democracies worry about the __________________ for civil liberties of global policing.

7.Inequalities in wealth – partly due to the opening of borders in Eastern Europe

_____________ opportunities for both amateur smugglers and organised crime.

8.Globalisation and technology have changed ____________ of territorial control.

9.Criminals stealing money electronically may have no physical presence in the country where the cash is stolen or deposited. The question _______________: where was the crime committed and whose jurisdiction should apply?

10.U.N. conventions are helpful but do little to combat crime unless they are _____ by credible international enforcement.

# Exercise 2

Match the following verbs with their corresponding definitions:

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Discuss with a partner the aspects of fighting global crime outlined above.

# Exercise 3 The Mafia – The Original Organised Crime Group!

Listen to the text and say whether the following statements are TRUE or FALSE or NOT STATED

1.The name “mafia” is mainly associated with Italy but has become a general term for organised gangsterism.

2.The Fascists under Mussolini supported the Mafia.

3.“Bootlegging” was the term given to illegal smuggling of migrants in to the USA.

4.Mafia control and power spread into the US armed forces, infiltrating the army especially.

5.The Mafia was involved in many rackets but avoided drugs for moral reasons.

6.The FBI under J.Edgar Hoover recognised the threat to society from organised crime at a very early stage.

7.The Mafia changed their operations from local rackets to national and transnational activities.

8.The Mafia has always remained an exclusively Italian/Sicilian based partnership.

¾ Activity 1 Translate into English

Mafia este o lume logică, raţională, funcţională şi implacabilă. Mult mai logică, mai raţională şi mai implacabilă decât statul. Mafia este o articulaţie a puterii, o metamorfoză a puterii, dar şi a patologie a puterii. Mafia este un sistem economic, o componentă obligatorie a sistemului economic global. Mafia se dezvoltă datorită statului şi îşi adaptează comportamentul în funcţie de acesta.

¾ Activity 2

Comment on Louise Shelley’s assertion:

“Organised crime will be a defining issue of the 21st century as the Cold War was for the 20th century and colonialism was for the 19th century”. These ideas may help you. Organised crime

vast profits/ instability/ human weakness/ speed of communication/

“white-collar criminals/ corrupt governments/ built on poverty/ exploit greed and power Cold war

Control of information/ climate of fear/ mutual distrust/ image of the “enemy”/ “superpowers only”- other countries mainly onlookers

Colonialism

exploitation/ benefit to whom? / notion of dominance/ legacy of colonialism/ mentalities

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# Exercise 4

Fill in the gaps with one of the following words:

1.Transnational organized crime and corruption are now acknowledged as high-priority ___ that need more attention and creative solutions.

2.These growing phenomena present a formidable challenge to international law, ___ society and both political and business communities.

3.They have a negative impact on the global political economy, and disproportionately negative____ on transitional and developing countries.

4.Those most severely impacted are the less privileged, particularly women, children, small businesses, entrepreneurs and minorities, and those not part of the ____ of corruption.

5.Other serious impacts are decreased trade and investment, policy distortion, less transparency and accountability, and reduced funding for key ____services at the national and local level.

6.The net result of systemic crime and corruption is a ____ civil society incapable of supporting a market-based democratic form of government.

7.It also results in unsound budgetary ____ that under-invest in the fundamental needs and rights of citizens, such as basic healthcare, property ownership, quality education, public safety, a clean environment and fundamental human rights, including free speech and a free press.

8.Systemic corruption often leads to____ crime and corruption activities, which then becomes a problem for the world community.

9.The transnational crime and corruption center (TraCCC) and United Research

Centers (URC) provide an international, multi-disciplinary forum in which to address and attack the complex ____ relating to organized crime and corruption .

10. Each mutually-supporting activity of the Centers also promotes international cooperation, economic ____, good governance, the rule of law and a vibrant civil society.

Cigarette Sellers in Kosovo

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UNIT 13 – Combatting Organised Crime

# Exercise 5

Read the following excerpts on organized crime and decide which of the following headlines is appropriate for each of them.

A.“Where western governments worry about the insidious power of criminal gangs, some countries with less developed democracies have governments which practise a form of superorganized crime – looting the national wealth for the benefit of family and friends. The line between gangsters and dictators may be hard to distinguish. And even western politicians can sometimes get trapped in the organised crime net. The temptation to turn a blind eye in return for massive financial reward is a human weakness not restricted to poor undemocratic countries.

B.One of the striking features of modern organised crime is that some gangs continue to operate effectively even when their leaders are killed or put in jail. This is an indication of very sophisticated organisational structures. However, the notion of global crime groups with formally constituted management “pyramids” is probably misguided.

C.Clearly, however, the loss of gang leaders may cause great disruption of activities, especially if rival contenders begin killing each other for the top positions.

D.Organised crime offers such vast profits that new gangs appear as soon as old ones are put away. The anomalies of the global marketplace - rich alongside poor; wide variations in national laws and regulations and the price of goods (such as petrol, cigarettes and alcohol); legal bans on goods or services in wide demand (such as drugs, gambling or prostitution); and the wide availability of arms in the post-Cold War environment – offer numerous opportunities to organised crime.

E.According to the UN, the drugs trade alone is reckoned to generate revenue of $ 400 billion a year. Such huge sums make it possible for the traffickers to bribe almost anyone in their path. The nature of operations has changed too, with numerous gangs operating across borders and using advanced technology (such as encrypted computers) to pursue and conceal their activities. The weaponry available to some of these groups is of paramilitary grade. No form of potential market is ignored, nothing is taboo.

F.“The scale of the profits from drug trafficking and other activities of organised crime is such that it requires complex international banking arrangements. The proceeds of most crime come in cash, whereas most commercial transactions are conducted by paper (cheques, bank drafts etc.) or plastic card. Turning “dirty money” into clean money (laundering) has thus become a major industry of its own.

G.Cash can be laundered by simply passing it through a legitimate cash-based activity such as gambling (racecourses, casinos, etc.), sports stadia (turnstile receipts, food and drink

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sales, etc.); or the entertainment business (restaurants, hotels, nightclubs etc.). These moneylaundering advantages do much to explain the popularity of cash businesses with organised crime, especially since such businesses are often lucrative in their own right.

H.The Internet has made the distribution of pornographic material a global industry, offering the most bizarre sexual entertainment at the push of a few keys. Much of the trade is linked to organised crime, which has a long history of peddling sex through prostitution and pornography. Whereas the traditional sex industry operated with cash and anonymity, Internet sales rely on credit cards and e-mails- thus giving sophisticated gangs a pathway into new forms of exploitation through credit card extortion and blackmail.

Many brothels are controlled by organised crime, especially in large cities. One of the ugliest aspects of this business is the increasing number of young women who are forced through poverty, drug addiction or physical intimidation to embark upon a life of prostitution against their will.

I.The common theme of most criminal activities is the fulfilment of a strong market demand which cannot be met by legitimate business – because it is unethical, illegal, or too costly. Organised crime also searches for weaknesses in government or business systems so that cash payments can be diverted. East European gangs, long stifled by communism, have turned out to be especially good at this. For example, Russian emigrants living in the USA devised lucrative scams in gasoline taxes and health care payments – more sophisticated forms of organised crime than the traditional activities of extortion, loan-sharking gambling and prostitution.

J.Society is much kinder to white-collar criminals who steal millions in financial fraud than to bank robbers who threaten the cashier and run off with a few thousand. Physical violence upsets the citizenry far more than corporate theft. A petty crook is scorned, while a millionaire fraudster may consort with princes. These oddities of human ethics have enabled some very big crooks to move in the corridors of power. As long as the “dirty business” is kept out of sight, all is well.

1.Rich countries have increasingly tougher controls on immigration …

2.Even well-intentioned governments can open new opportunities for organised crime

…

3.Differences in national taxes on cigarettes and alcohol ….

4.Smugglers provide 10% of the cigarettes sold in UK…

5.Once shopkeepers, pub or bar-owners begin to take cut-price supplies …

6.Even the world of medicine is affected by the tentacles of organised crime …

7.Controlling environmental pollution seems a positive feature of modern government…

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UNIT 13 – Combatting Organised Crime

8.In New York, even until the mid 1990s …

9.In the developing world where the majority of the people are extremely poor …

10.Some gangsters even become “legitimate” politicians …

A.… costing the government about US$ 1.3 billion per year.

B.… provide the impetus for large-scale smuggling operations.

C.… it is difficult to escape back into legality.

D.… yet different standards of living create increased pressures to migrate.

E.… the Mafia controlled the clothing industry, freight transportation, garbage handling and other everyday activities.

F.… as has happened in Russia, Central Asia and South and Latin America.

G.… gangs find willing recruits for their activities.

H.… by having big price differences for consumer products between neighbouring countries.

I.… with illegal abortion and even the trade in human organs in the hands of organised crime.

J.… but organised crime controls illicit importation of prohibited chemicals and the illicit transport of toxic or nuclear waste.

¾ Activity 3 Southeast European Cooperative Initiative

Read about SECI which is a multi-national agreement with collaboration between law enforcement authorities in Romania and several other countries in South Eastern Europe to fight organised, transnational crime.

The SECI Mission is:

To support common trans-border crime fighting efforts of SECI participating countries in order to improve the business environment in South-Eastern Europe and make it more attractive for investors, with the declared aim of reaching economic and political stability within the region.

Why do these aims have a business, social and political angle as well as a lawenforcement one?

How much do you think business investment depends on social and political stability?

# Exercise 7 The Main Focus of the SECI Centre

Now complete the text about SECI with an appropriate adjective or past-participle selected from the box. The first letter(s) have been given to make it a bit easier!

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The Center has an operational framework consisting of Liaison Officers,

(1)se______________ by police and customs from each member country who are

(2)su______________ by a national office. The national office, again consisting of police and customs representatives is (3) c__________________ the National Focal Point. It has the responsibility of providing (4) h___________________ and (5) f ______________ final information or data to the Liaison Officer at the Center. The exchange of information between the Liaison Officer at the SECI Center and its corresponding National Focal Point Office is (6) r_____________________ on the basis of different kinds of requests and depending on the requirements of the different countries’ operative activity. The main operational tools are the Task Forces, which are (7) c________________ specialized teams of representatives from different countries, (8) c____________________ by one of the member countries. For every Task Force, there is a different member country acting as the coordinator of the Task force in question. Under these Task Forces, if there is information about a particular case, which may involve several of the countries participating in that Task Force, and if the case is of interest to several countries, an operation is (9) m _____________.

In 2001, four such actual operations were (10) i_________________ , two concerning human beings being (11) t____________________, one concerning drugs trafficking and one concerning commercial frauds and trafficking in cigarettes.

¾ Activity 4

Read the text and translate the underlined items into English

Şeful traficanţilor de cocaină din Timişoara - achitat şi eliberat de vicepreşedintele Tribunalului Timiş

Justiţia din Timiş a dovedit ieri, înca o dată, (1) faptul că legea nu reprezintă altceva decât un lucru de care se poate face abstracţie atunci când interesele o cer. Ieri, Tribunalul Timiş (2) a dat sentinţa în cazul cunoscut în presă sub numele de cod "Tabla de şah". Vă reamintim că, în 6 iunie a.c.,

(3) o amplă operaţiune a ofiţerilor din cadrul Centrului Zonal de Combatere a Crimei Organizate şi Antidrog Timişoara s-a soldat cu cea mai mare captură de cocaină din România înregistrată în acest an - 2,03 kg, echivalentul a aproximativ 20.000 de doze, (4) a căror valoare de piaţă este de 6 miliarde de lei. Patru traficanţi au fost arestaţi, iar (5) al cincilea a fost dat în urmărire internaţională, fiind dispărut fără urmă. Dosarul a ajuns la Tribunalul Timiş, cauza fiind judecată de vicepreşedintele acestei instituţii, Ioan Jivan. (6) La finalul audierilor, judecătorul a amânat de mai multe ori pronunţarea sentinţei. Ieri, aceasta a fost facutăpublică. Gage Olimpiu, Bot Walter, Mladenovici Dumitru şi Bachici Miodrag au fost condamnaţi la 14 ani de închisoare pentru trafic cu droguri de mare risc. Cu toate acestea, în mod suspect, (7) judecatorul l-a achitat pe cel dovedit a fi capul retelei, Alexa Claudiu, de 24 de ani, cetăţean român cu domiciliul în Canada. În timpul anchetei, unul dintre cei arestaţi, Bot, a recunoscut, inclusiv în faţa instanţei, cădrogurile pe care trebuia săle vândăle-a primit de la Alexa. De asemenea, listingurile telefonice au dovedit faptul că, înainte de momentul tranzacţiei celor două kilograme de cocaină, Alexa a ţinut în permanenţălegătura pe telefonul mobil cu Gage. (8) Alexa a fost reţinut de poliţiştii antidrog în comuna Giroc, acolo unde s-a realizat tranzacţia. Imediat după reţinerea lui Alexa, oamenii săi de încredere au oferit nu mai puţin de 100.000 de dolari pentru ca bărbatul să fie scos din dosar. Prin sentinţa de ieri, Alexa a fost pus în libertate, (9) având posibilitatea să se facă nevăzut. Afacerile cu droguri în familia Alexa nu sunt o noutate, fratele acestuia fiind condamnat în anii

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