Extending drift theory to cybercrime forum participation: the case of digital workers

Masarah Paquet-Clouston and Léanne Vincendon

Global Crime, 2025, vol. 26, issue 3-4, 192-216

Abstract: This study extends Matza’s concept of drift to cybercrime forum participation, suggesting that participants exist in a liminal state where they are neither fully compliant with legal norms nor explicitly engaged in criminal activity. In this state, criminal involvement can only be confirmed when individuals openly disclose crimes on these forums. This nuance is valuable when studying those who are not fully committed to cybercrime, but remain active in these settings, such as digital workers. Through an analysis of 105 digital workers in cybercrime forums, this study reveals their limited and sporadic engagement, with many contributing benign or ambiguous content. This reflects the neutrality of IT, where criminal intent is often ambiguous. Only a small fraction displayed consistent criminal involvement. Moreover, the findings empirically support Goldsmith and Brewer’s (2015) notion of digital drift, underscoring the fleeting and episodic nature of, in this case, cybercrime forum participation.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/17440572.2025.2517027

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