| The purpose of this research is to understand how cybercrime has emerged as a formidable threat in online gaming, and more specifically, to determine the level of consumer awareness and the extent of law enforcement capabilities in handling the cybercriminal activity. Cybercrime in online gaming is the result of decades of Internet cybercriminals transferring honed criminal skills to a new medium. The enterprise of online gaming has reached revenues in the billions and has seen millions of gamers logging in daily to play. The attraction of money and social interaction has led criminals of all types to seek out victims in the online gaming world. Criminal activities include money laundering, extortion, kidnapping, molestation, and murder. A lack of legal authority over online gameplay has made regulating the illegal interactions of criminals difficult. Methods to encourage awareness and protect the consumer have found their way into the gaming industry from the Entertainment Software Rating Board to Operation Game Over. Laws do not exist that are specific to online gaming. Incidents are instead governed by preexisting Internet laws. Game administrators and end-user license agreements are the primary methods for gameplay regulation. The forensic capabilities of investigators on gaming consoles show limited abilities with the Nintendo platforms, while showing increased capabilities among the PlayStation and Xbox gaming systems. Research supported the view that consumers were at least partially aware of the dangers posed by online gaming cybercrime. Law enforcement officials were found to be capable of prosecuting criminals using preexisting laws, but that gaming-specific laws will be required in the future. The recommendations stated in the research were created to provide alternative methods to determine awareness of online gaming cybercrime, investigate foreign policies, and encourage further research into the Nintendo Wii U. |
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