Fraud and Cybercrime
UndergraduateGRF-CCJ3262025
Study the fast-moving world of tech-enabled crime. Cover viruses, ransomware attacks, online fraud and child exploitation, cyber terrorism, stalking and bullying. Consider current approaches to combatting these crimes.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Enrol by
- 23 Nov 2025
- Entry requirements
- Prior study needed
- Duration
- 13 weeks
- Start dates
- 2 June 2025,
- 1 Dec 2025
- Price from
- $2,124
- Upfront cost
- $0
- Loan available
- HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Fraud and Cybercrime
About this subject
After successfully completing this subject you should be able to:
- Describe fraud and cybercrime as contemporary and evolving crime categories.
- Recognise the significant harms (financial, emotional and societal) that result from fraud and cybercrime.
- Apply criminological theories to understand why and how fraud and cybercrime occurs.
- Developing basic strategies for the prevention, disruption and detection of fraud and cybercrime.
- Discuss the role, responsibilities and investigative capacities of governments, law enforcement, regulatory agencies and corporate and private sectors groups in combatting fraud and cybercrime.
- Demonstrate sound analysis and problem-solving skills.
- Course Introduction
- Researching Cybercrime
- Cyber-Dependent Crimes
- Financial Cybercrimes
- Technology-Facilitated Abuse and Exploitation
- Cybercrime Investigations
- Regulating, Policing, and Preventing Cybercrime
- Beyond 'Cybercrime'
- Future Challenges and Course Review
This subject covers a range of technology-enabled crimes, including attacks on computer hardware (i.e., viruses, ransomware attacks, etc.) and those crimes in which computers are used as the primary facilitator of the crime (i.e., online fraud, cyber terrorism, cyber stalking, cyber bullying, online child exploitation, etc.).
Fraud and cybercrime are evolving and contemporary crime categories. These crimes have significant impact on the financial and emotional wellbeing of victims, along with broader societal impact. Current approaches to preventing, detecting and punishing these crimes have proven to be challenging as governments, law enforcement and regulatory agencies attempt to combat their growing prevalence and sophistication of offender methodologies.
Part 1 introduces students to the history of studying crime and technology, broad concepts of cybercrime, and the theories and research methods used by cybercrime researchers.
Part 2 covers a particular fraud/cybercrime issue in depth each week (e.g. hacks, scams, online illicit markets, technology-facilitated abuse) and the current debates in regulating/preventing cybercrimes and digital harms.
Part 3 explores the broader realm of 'digital criminology' by discussing topics related to digital technologies, social harms, and future challenges in society with the evolution of technologies (e.g. surveillance and facial recognition technologies, extremist communities online, environmental harms from technologies, AI bias).
- Online Quiz (10%)
- Cybercrime Case Study (60%)
- Final Exam (30%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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Entry requirements
Others
This is not an introductory subject, it is a third year subject. You must have a basic understanding of the first year criminology subjects.
Students who have completed more than 2 OUA units (GPA 4.0+) and are planning on completing the Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice are strongly encouraged to enrol in the degree. Part of this process will involve registering your study plan with Griffith University, which will help to ensure that you are studying the required units.
Additional requirements
No additional requirements
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
What to study next?
Once you’ve completed this subject it can be credited towards one of the following courses
UndergraduateGRF-ART-DEG
Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice
UndergraduateGRF-CCJ-DEG
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