Quantum Security in Forensic Investigation for the Analysis of Chatbot-Linked Crimes on Social Media: A Framework for Post-Quantum Digital Evidence Preservation

Abstract

The growth of social media crime has changed digital forensic practice by increasing the volume, velocity, and volatility of evidence associated with chatbot-mediated offenses. Chatbots are now implicated in phishing, impersonation, fraud, grooming, coordinated disinformation, and automated social engineering campaigns that often cross multiple platforms. At the same time, the emerging quantum computing era introduces new security risks to digital evidence, particularly for systems that rely on conventional public-key cryptography for storage, transfer, and verification. This paper examines the role of quantum security in forensic investigation, focusing on the analysis of chatbot-linked crimes on social media and the need to preserve evidential integrity in a post-quantum environment. Drawing on recent work in social media forensics, digital evidence governance, and quantum forensics, the paper proposes a conceptual framework combining post-quantum cryptography, immutable logging, federated evidence processing, and AI-assisted chatbot trace analysis. The paper argues that future forensic practice must address both the forensic challenges posed by chatbot-enabled crime and the cryptographic threats posed by quantum computing if courts are to receive trustworthy, admissible digital evidence.