THIS BOOK ORIGINALLY APPEARED AS A SERIES OF ARTICLES IN NEW YORKER MAGAZINE. IT STARTS WITH A DETAILED LOOK IN ONE OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST RECORDED COMPUTER FRAUDS, THE EQUITY FUNDING SCANDAL WHICH PROBABLY NETTED OVER $1 BILLION DOLLARS FOR THE CORPORATE OFFICERS WHO PERPETRATED IT. AT THE OTHER EXTREME IS THE CHIEF TELLER AT THE UNION DIME BANK WHO MANIPULATED INACTIVE SAVINGS ACCOUNTS TO FINANCE HIS GAMBLING LOSSES. OTHER CHAPTERS LOOK AT THE ALIENATED PROGRAMMERS WHO DESTROY WHOLE SYSTEMS, THE CLEVER MANIPULATORS WHO MANAGE TO ROUND OFF SMALL SUMS INTO THEIR OWN ACCOUNTS, AND THE THIEVES WHO STEAL COMPUTER HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE FOR RESALE. THESE SCHEMES HAVE BEEN FOILED BY SHARP-EYED CLERKS, THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, JILTED LOVERS, AND LUCK. GREED IS ONLY ONE MOTIVE. MANY OF THESE CRIMINALS SEE THE COMPUTER AS A SYMBOL OF AN IDEOLOGICAL ACT. BUSINESSES ARE SOMETIMES SO EMBARRASSED WHEN THE CRIME IS DISCOVERED THAT THEY HIRE THE PERPETRATOR AS A SECURITY SPECIALIST. AN APPENDIX LISTS PROPOSED FEDERAL LEGISLATION TO CONTROL COMPUTER CRIME. ANOTHER GIVES EXCERPTS FROM A SPECIAL REPORT SUBMITTED TO CONGRESS BY THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE U.S. GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE ON COMPUTER-RELATED CRIMES IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS. THIS REPORT CONTAINS SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS TO CONTROL COMPUTER LOSES. A THIRD APPENDIX, TITLE 'PENETRATION OF A UNIVAC COMPUTER,' EXAMINES FAILINGS IN SYSTEMS DESIGN AND COMPUTER SECURITY WHICH MAKE COMPUTER CRIME POSSIBLE. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS INCLUDED.