Criminals attack bank computer systems in countless, often ingenious, ways--every minute of every day. Somewhere such a crime is probably in progress even as you read this.
Bank insiders frequently yield to temptation. Dishonest bank employees have used the electronic funds transfer computer networks to steal tens of millions instantly. A few have devised schemes to steal hundreds of millions of dollars in a single day.
ATMs and online banking are the current targets-of-choice for most bank robbers.
Threats against computers in banks are forever increasing in sophistication. Criminals can now monitor all of the activities of a particular computer--without the knowledge or consent of the computer's owner. This enables them to capture from afar, screen names, passwords, bank account numbers, credit card numbers, and so forth. Isn't that a spooky bit of news?
This book traces the evolution of crimes involving computers in financial institutions from the earliest reported and prosecuted, to those still wending their way through the criminal justice systems of the world. More than one hundred incidents from around the globe are included. Some are amusing. Some are amazing. A few are truly horrifying.
Herman McDaniel, known to friends, colleagues, and former students, as "Mac McDaniel," has advised numerous bank executives regarding the need for realistic controls over computerized systems. He has created and conducted dozens of special computer seminars and workshops for federal, state, and local government managers and executives. He has taught basic computer control concepts to hundreds of law enforcement personnel in the federal government and from most of the 50 states. Now semi-retired, he lives on the east coast of the United States.