Abstract
M.Comm.
Soon after the introduction of the automobile in the early 201
h century, the number of crimes
doubled. The projection for the future is that the computer might produce an impact for law and
law enforcement greater than that created by the invention of the motor car. Experts agree that
computer crime will be the single greatest crime generator of the 21st century (Association of
Certified Fraud Examiners, 1999: 1 ).
Although the advances in technology have an impact on all walks of life, this short dissertation
will focus on the effects thereof on crime in the workplace.
Electronic commerce touches all major aspects of economic life and presents a series of
complex issues. It involves the integration of many elements of technology, infrastructure,
business operation and public policy. All these elements need to operate together as smoothly
as possible to yield the maximum benefits to the public (South Africa, 2000), and all other
stakeholders.
Today very few business organisations and government departments have business
information systems that are not computer based. More and more organisations connect to the
Internet to conduct their business and/or to provide a variety of services.
Computer-based crimes have now become a part of the general problem of white-collar crime.
The problem of fraud, or white-collar crime, is serious. Statistics have shown that corporate
losses due to fraud and embezzlement exceed total losses due to bribery, burglary and
shoplifting by a wide margin (Bodnar & Hopwood 1998:218). The introduction of networks, and
specifically the Internet, has exacerbated this problem. Pincott (2001 :76) found that fraud costs
firms an estimated GBP 40 million a day and is a factor in 30 per cent of all insolvencies.
As the complexity and global pervasiveness of fraud escalates, a new survey concludes that
managements are failing both to implement preventive measures and to address the issue
once an offence has occurred (Anon., 2000:11}.
There is a lack of common understanding of computer-related crimes and more research into
the field is required.