The 10 Most Common Internet Crimes

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The Crime: Unlawfully accessing a computer without authorization and sending multiple e-mails; resending multiple commercial email messages with the intent to deceive recipients; or falsifying header information in multiple email messages.

The Time: Spam and its decedents are not only extremely annoying, they are federally outlawed. This shady practice carries a maximum five year sentence if the sender is spamming for commercial gain. In all other cases, spammers face a possible three year sentence for their first offense. Thank you, Gmail.

The Crime: Using the Internet to threaten to cause damage with the intent to extort from any person any money or other thing of value.

The Time: Hackers threatening to expose damaging or embarrassing information in exchange for money face a hefty fine of up to five years. Be sure to keep your anti-virus updated and don't click that weird video link in your email.

The Crime: Intentionally accessing, without authorization, a facility through which an electronic communication service is provided.

The Time: Hacking someone's email account for the purposes of commercial advantage, malicious destruction, or in furtherance of any crime carries a maximum five year sentence for first time offenders. Hacking into an email account in all other cases comes with a maximum one year sentence. Now go change your password.

The Crime: Engaging in the business of betting or wagering on any sporting event or contest over the Internet.

The Time: Using the Internet for betting on sports is a federal crime punishable up to two years in prision. States remain free to regulate internet gambling, other than sports betting, as it occurs within that state. Since non-sports betting regulations fall within the purview of the individual states, the laws and regulations vary across the country.

The Crime: Devising any scheme to defraud, or for obtaining money or property by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, or promises, and using the Internet for the purpose of executing the scheme.

The Time: This statute covers general wire fraud, but also applies to the most common scheme of not receiving what you won and paid for in an online auction. If the scam artist ever gets caught, he or she faces as much as 20 years in prison.

Note: If the violation occurred in relation to a government declared major disaster or emergency, the offender is subject to a maximum fine of $1,000,000 or up to 30 years in jail, or both. Both!

The Crime: Anonymously using the Internet to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass the person who receives the communication.

The Time: Internet thugs and cyber goons beware! You might want to think twice before you flex your finger muscles in the comments section—it could turn into a two year stint.

The Crime: Using the Internet to transmit child pornography.

The Time: Under federal law, transmitting child pornography carries a minimum five year sentence and a maximum 20 year sentence. Doesn't seem harsh enough.

The Crime: Persuading, inducing, enticing, or coercing any individual to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution.

The Time: The crime of prostitution at the federal level involves the act of crossing state lines and, if guilty, carries a maximum 20 year sentence. At the state level, 49 out of the 50 states outlaw postitution. We all know which one doesn't.

The Crime: Delivering, distributing, or dispensing a controlled substance by means of the Internet.

The Time: Using the internet to violate the federal drug trafficking law carries a hefty sentence depending on the drug and the amount. For example, one kilo of heroin gets you as much time as five kilos of cocaine: imprisonment for a minimum of 10 years with the max being a life sentence. Also, if death or serious bodily injury results from use of the drugs, the minimum sentence gets bumped up to 20 years.

The Crime: Infringing a copyright for financial gain...or by distributing a work being prepared for commercial distribution on a computer network.

The Time: Infringing a copyright for financial gain comes with more then a slap on the wrist. The Internet makes it extremely easy for an infringer to cross the threshold of federal criminal liability. A mere 10 shared copies with a minimum retail value of $2500 triggers a five year maximum sentence. Distributing a work being prepared for commercial distribution—essentially a 'leak'—carries a possible three year sentence which doubles if you're a repeat offender.