But most cybercriminals aren’t tech geniuses like Jonathan was; they’re good at basic skills and willing to learn.
- Kim, for example, was a middle-aged bookseller from Denver who must have read too many crime thrillers and “how-to” computer manuals. Relying solely on what he learned from books, he became a successful cybercriminal — until the law caught up with him. He spent four years in federal prison.
- Thomas had retired from a career as a mortgage officer before he decided there was easier money to be had from stealing over the web. He, too, ended up in prison.
- David was a career criminal — check-kiting was his bread and butter until he discovered it was easier to steal as a cybercrook.
- Albert was a kid from Miami with computer skills who became very rich before he was caught and given a 20-year prison sentence.
- Ray was a retired Army officer who didn’t begin his cybercrime career until he was 64.
- Shawn was an aspiring actor who was a natural at identity theft.
These are just some of the people I know who got caught. Most high-tech scammers don’t. But what we can learn from them is that there is no single profile of a cybercriminal — other than they are motivated by what they believe will be easy money.
What you can also take away from their stories is that the tech tools of criminality are relatively easy to…
