Sample Worksheet - Fraud / Unfair Business Dealings

[PART I: "Victim charity scheme" article]
  1. Define computer fraud.
  2. Which parts of the ACM Code of Ethics specifically address computer fraud?
  3. Visit the U.S. House of Representatives Internet Law Library (http://law.house.gov/). Briefly describe the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. (e.g., when was it enacted? What is the minimum monetary damage that must occur to invoke this act?)
  4. Visit the International Computer Security Association's web pages on US Computer Crime Law (http://www.ncsa.com/ncsalaws/). On the U.S. map, select Florida and one other state, and compare and contrast the corresponding computer fraud laws.
[PART II: "Victim charity scheme" article]
  1. Now, read the article "Central Florida Man Charged in Fire Victim Charity Scheme". List the stake holders and briefly describe their positions.
  2. Briefly describe Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
  3. Does the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act or the state laws you investigated above seem applicable to this case? Why or why not?
  4. Based on the states you examined, in which state would the suspect be worse off?
  5. What further action should be taken against the other stake holders and why?
  6. If you worked for an Internet service provider, what policies would you institute to combat frauds such as this? What are the advantages and disadvantages of these policies?
  7. Is Florida's law sufficient for deterring crimes such as this in the future? Why or why not?
  8. If you believe Florida's law is sufficient, what crime would "push the limit" of it?
  9. If you believe Florida's law is NOT sufficient, would you be willing to draft a memo to your state representative to support further legislation?
Page maintained by: kwb@csee.usf.edu