Modern Crimes or the Same Old Ones?

Modern crimes are really no different than ancient ones. The difference is the methods with which these crimes are committed.

Instead of a snake oil salesman rolling into town with his wagon full of cure-all elixirs, late-night television commercials now hawk these wares. Never mind that these miracle drugs haven’t been approved by the FDA. Who reads the fine print on the bottom of the screen anyway?

Rather than traveling from town to town to try and rope unsuspecting investors into suspicious land deals,  scammers can now sit in the comfort of their own homes (or the basement of Russian office buildings) and send e-mails to millions of people in the hopes that at least some of them are willing to take a chance on untold riches. But I have to ask myself, how many Nigerian princes could possibly need my assistance? What are the odds that two of my Facebook friends are both being jailed in foreign countries and in need of bail money at the same time?

Back in the day, if someone wanted to rob a bank, they would have to break into a physical building with their six shooters at the ready, or else rob the stagecoach as it was transferring the bags of money. Now, a savvy coder can hack into a bank’s computer system and electronically transfer the funds to an offshore account in the Caymans while never being in any physical danger (until the Feds break down their door, of course). The job is much easier, but the end result is the same: the thief has a bunch of money that doesn’t belong to them.

Likewise, while the methods of murder have become somewhat more refined, not much else has changed. Instead of crushing a man’s skull with a rock, someone today might use a baseball bat or a hammer. Instead of shooting a man with a musket, the killer might purchase a nine millimeter. Rather than hemlock being the poison of choice, antifreeze is the clear winner since it’s available at a wide selection of retailers.

As technology continues to evolve, so will the ways people commit crimes. What is considered a modern crime today will seem antiquated fifty years from now. If there's a new way to commit an old crime, someone will find it.

Comments

[Ann]

You make some great points, Staci! Another thing about crimes of the past... If you could "gallop away" fast enough, you could re-invent yourself: ride into a new town/city, change your appearance (if needed), call yourself by a different name, claim to have inherited/made your money in sheep and cattle in another state, and no one was the wiser. Welcome to your new life! Today, with security cameras at every street corner and in every business, the ubiquitous cell phone, the need for social security numbers and so on, re-invention is a little harder. Doesn't stop folks from trying, though!

[Staci]

That's so true, Ann! It's much more difficult to remain anonymous in today's society. And with facial recognition software on the rise, it's only going to get harder!