ABSTRACT

This study examined a sample of transnational computer fraud cases involving bank card fraud and phone scams investigated by the Vietnamese police between 2010 and 2018. This research used social network analysis to evaluate the relationships between computer fraud suspects. The study combined data from criminal profiles and in-depth interviews with police officials to determine the structural characteristics of sample cases. Results showed that transnational computer fraud in Vietnam occurs online and offline, with primary modus operandi including bank card fraud and phone scams. Moreover, the organizational structures of transnational computer fraud in Vietnam differ from those broadly assumed by scholars. Accordingly, this study proposes that the degree of leadership within cybercriminal networks can be used to construct a new typology with four categories: ‘swarm networks,’ ‘distributed networks,’ ‘single-directed networks,’ and ‘group-directed networks.’ As the first study of this nature conducted in Vietnam, this study contributes to the literature of cybercrime and especially, to the knowledge of transnational computer fraud in Asia and beyond.

摘要

本研究调查了越南警方在 2010 年至 2018 年间调查的涉及银行卡欺诈和电话诈骗的跨国计算机欺诈案件样本。本研究使用社交网络分析来评估计算机欺诈嫌疑人之间的关系。该研究结合了犯罪档案的数据和与警官的深入访谈，以确定样本案件的结构特征。结果表明，越南的跨国计算机欺诈发生在网上和线下，其主要作案手法包括银行卡欺诈和电话诈骗。此外，越南跨国计算机欺诈的组织结构与学者们普遍假设的不同。因此，这项研究提出，网络犯罪网络中的领导程度可用于构建具有四个类别的新类型：“群体网络”、“分布式网络”、“单向网络”和“群体导向网络”。作为在越南进行的第一项此类性质的研究，这项研究有助于网络犯罪的文献，尤其是对亚洲及其他地区跨国计算机欺诈的了解。