Expectations vs reality: Responding to online fraud across the fraud justice network

Cross, C. (2018) — International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijlcj.2018.08.001

Synopsis

This catalog-style synopsis surveys how online fraud is addressed within the broader fraud justice network, spanning agencies, institutions, and jurisdictions. Framed by the contrast between stated expectations—rapid response, comprehensive investigation, and effective disruption of fraud schemes—and the realities encountered in practice, the work examines the roles and responsibilities assigned to police, regulators, courts, and industry partners. Across a range of governance contexts, it considers how policy aims, technical capabilities, and organizational cultures shape the design and implementation of fraud-response efforts, from detection to public communication. Topics of analysis include coordination mechanisms, information sharing, and the allocation of scarce resources. The discussion highlights challenges such as legal interoperability, data privacy, cross-border data flows, and differences in procedural timelines. It also considers how platforms, financial service providers, and the public sector collaborate to triage cases, preserve evidence, and pursue enforcement, while balancing victim needs with due process. By comparing expectations with observed practices, the piece illuminates where gaps persist and where existing arrangements produce more effective outcomes. Overall, the work contributes a neutral mapping of the decision points and actors involved in online fraud response. It identifies latent tensions between speed, accuracy, and accountability, and it articulates criteria for evaluating performance across jurisdictions. The catalog-like synthesis aims to inform policymakers, practitioners, and researchers by clarifying how the fraud justice network operates in theory and in practice, and by outlining potential directions for aligning strategic goals with operational realities in the era of digital fraud.

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