Modus operandi ("often used in the abbreviated forms M.O. or simply Method) is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as "mode of operation". Acronym The plural is modi operandi ("modes of operation"). It is used in law enforcement to describe a criminal's characteristic patterns and style of committing crimes. Ethiopundit It is also applied in fraud investigation when talking about behavior patterns that indicate specific types of fraud, e.g., "False identity is a key MO of retail banking sleeper fraud".
Other uses
The term is also commonly used in English in a non-criminal sense to describe someone's habit or manner of working, the method of operating or functioning.A criminal's MO may also be used in offender profiling, where it can also be used to find clues to the perpetrator's psychology.The distinction between MO and signature, is in the intent. Actions considered consistent with MO can be linked to one of three intended purposes; 1) to ensure the offender's success in co