Muddled Journalism

According to a short piece on CCN.com USAToday published a "report" on cyber crime. I cannot find the original but here is a quote from CNN.

The Treasury Department says that cyber crime has now outgrown illegal drug sales in annual proceeds, netting an estimated $105 billion in 2004, the report said.

Recognize that? The offhand remark of a consultant at a conference in Ryadh turns into "The Treasury Department".

As I and others have now pointed out cyber crime is up to about $1 billion not $105 billion and the world wide drug trade is over $400 billion. 'Nuff said.