To Match Foes, Police Go to Cyber-School

Police departments are playing catch-up in their battle against what has become a tool of choice among crooks: the personal computer.

Software and compact-disc pirating, credit card fraud, and cash and check counterfeiting are just some of the scams criminals can pull off with a few keystrokes. All they need is a $1,000 computer and a few add-ons, such as a laser printer and scanner.

In an effort to combat this growing segment of economic crime, departments are sending detectives to computer school, seeking assistance from big computer makers and trying to keep up with ever-advancing technology.

Officials said the efforts are paying off but admit they still face an uphill fight.

“It’s a very clean, quick getaway,” said Anaheim Police Lt. Jack Parra. “It takes a long time to find out who these people are. These crimes are sophisticated. While we do arrest a lot of suspects, the challenge is keeping up with the sophistication of the crimes. The learning curve is higher because they are high-tech-driven crimes.”

Anaheim’s economic crimes unit seized 1,100 counterfeit copies of the Windows 98 operating system, just days after the product’s release. Last month, detectives broke up a ring that used computers and printers to counterfeit thousands of compact discs--including albums by Celine Dion, Lionel Richie and Puff Daddy.

Not very long ago, a skilled criminal needed weeks or months to create high-quality plates for counterfeit cash. Now, officials said, it can be done in minutes with inexpensive computer-driven scanners and high-resolution color copiers.

Newport Beach police are working on a case in which a child stole credit card information and bought thousands of dollars in computer gadgets through the Internet using a fictitious home address. The child apparently waited at that address and the courier service dropped off the merchandise, according to authorities.

Newport Beach Det. Tim Newman said the child told police that he learned how to pull off the scam through Internet chat rooms.

Police are also beginning to see palm-size computers used to steal credit card information at restaurants. A crook can swipe the credit card through this device and then download the information onto the hand-held computer.

“Who would have thought that you’d be able to carry a device around that would allow you to steal credit card info?” Newman said.

Huntington Beach police have held sessions with the FBI, Secret Service and other computer experts to help track down PC criminals.

“We will never be able to anticipate what the criminal mind with a lot of time and money is capable of doing,” said Det. Richard Butcher. “But we will have a generation of police who will become adept at the computer, and we’ll be better and smarter at keeping up with what’s out there.”