The involvement process for financial-economic cyber-enabled crime: Exploring the roles of preexisting ties and offender convergence settings

Abstract This paper examines the involvement process of youth in financial cybercrime, focusing on preexisting ties and offender convergence settings. Based on interviews with 25 experts, and analysis of five criminal cases, we find that preexisting offline ties remain the most crucial, especially for core group members and money mules. This persistence is likely because such ties foster trust, reducing perceived risks in co-offending. At the same time, virtual offender convergence settings—particularly social media platforms like Telegram groups—appear to be gaining significance. These virtual settings may lower the barrier to entry for financial cybercrime, enabling individuals with limited cybercrime knowledge to engage in illicit activities. In the end, this development may expand the offender pool, enabling more people to enter the cybercriminal world, emphasizing the need for interventions. We discuss theoretical implications, including the need to reconsider how offender convergence settings are conceptualized in digital contexts, and practical strategies to disrupt youth involvement in financial cybercrime.