The Use of Protocol Addresses in Proving Digital Deception Crimes

Abstract

A protocol address is one of the digital traces that can be utilized in proving and detecting digital deception crimes by tracing the source of the electronic activity through which the crime was committed. The research problem lies in determining the effectiveness of the protocol address in the field of criminal evidence and the extent to which it can be relied upon as digital evidence. It also examines whether a protocol address alone is sufficient to attribute a crime to a particular person and how a protocol address can be utilized in detecting digital deception crimes. The study reached a number of findings and recommendations, including that protocol addresses can be utilized in detecting phishing, identity theft, and electronic fraud crimes, despite the technical challenges associated with their use, such as identity concealment, the use of spoofed addresses, and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). Accordingly, the study recommends strengthening technical cooperation between investigative authorities and Internet Service Providers (ISPs), in addition to enhancing the capabilities of competent authorities in analyzing digital evidence and tracing protocol addresses.