Cyber Crime: How to lodge complaint when you are victimised

 

 

What is Cyber Crime?

Cybercrime is any activity that involves the use of computers or networks as a tool to commit cybercrimes. Common cybercrimes include hacking, cyber stalking, denial of service attack (DoS), virus dissemination, software piracy, credit card fraud & phishing.

 

Common types of Cyber Crime:

·         Stolen credit card information: The most frequent type of cybercrime involves the theft of a person's credit card information, which is then fraudulently used to obtain or pay for goods or services on the internet.

·         Hacking into a government website: Modifying confidential government data is a different kind of criminality.

·         Theft of user accounts: Between 2013 and 2016, a tech giant suffered a significant data breach that led to the theft of three billion user accounts. The attackers were able to get passwords and confidential data used to log into user accounts for other online services. Even today, the dark web still has access to the majority of this data.

·         Compromised IoT devices: In 2016, hackers exploiting software flaws affected more than one million Internet of Things (IoT)-connected devices. The global DNS experienced outages as a result of this, the biggest DDoS attack to date, which also affected numerous well-known services, including Netflix, PayPal, Twitter, and many more.

·         Loss of control and access to content: Ransomware that encrypted user content was released by the WannaCry attack in 2017, which North Korea is suspected of having launched. During a short period of time, this malware has infected 300,000 machines globally. To have their data back, the victims had to spend hundreds of dollars.

·         Phishing campaigns: The phishing campaigns infiltrate corporate networks by sending authentic-looking fraudulent emails to users in an organization and tricking them into performing actions such as downloading attachments or clicking on links. The viruses or malware then spreads to the systems, and, eventually, ends up in the organizations’ networks.

 

What measures to be adopted to avoid getting victimised:

Anyone at any point of time may become a victim of cyber crime and most importantly your chance of getting instant police help or support is very remoted. Our cyber crime police stations are not at that much active as they should be to combat with this type of crimes which is far away from conventional types of crime.

Unless something big happens, cyber crime police stations does not bother to pay any heed to the victims. There is no mechanism for cyber patrolling, taking instant steps due lack of awareness, lack of required infrastructure and most importantly lack of proper knowledge on the subject.

The potentiality to affect large sector people within a few seconds is beyond the concept of the cyber crime police and every complaint is taken very casually.

So, you should be aware well enough to keep safe distance from cyber criminals. Amongst other the below are few things that you should maintain on regular basis and make it a habit:

·         Before opening any email, check the sender’s email link and if you find anything suspicious do not open the link;

·         On regular basis you get spam mails delivered to your primary mail box or under Updates. Whenever you point out an email as spam, don’t hesitate to repot spam so that the next email from that particular spammer will go directly to your trash box;

·         Don’t click on any suspicious or unknown link;

·         Don’t accept friend requests in facebook from any unknown person. Before accepting any friend request check the profile properly;

·         Always report to facebook if you find anything in your feed which is not of your interest or is suspicious;

·         Keep changing passwords in your vital accounts like net banking or mobile banking, Email, Facebook etc on regular basis;

·         Keep your phone operating system or desktop operating system updated;

·         While using Google search, click the option of “safe search” from the settings of browser;

·         Use antivirus of reputed companies;

·         Keep a separate browser for your net banking and while you open your net banking close all other tabs;

·         Report and exit from unsolicited whatsapp group;

·         Don’t accept video call from any stranger;

·         If you have a habit to seeing porn sites, don’t use your main laptop or desktop for that and keep a separate compute system for that. Contamination of corrupted program from such sites are very common and in such sites the close button of a pop up are actually an accept button of a link which you click to close a pop up on the main video and thus the criminals compels you to become victim;

·         Asking for money for short term investment and huge profit etc are very common. Don’t fall into these. There is no short cut to make money. If that be so, the person approaching you would have invested all his money into that scheme and become billionaire overnight;

 

What to do if you become a victim of Cyber Crime:

Despite all efforts, many of us become victim of cyber crimes and search out the way to report the same to the police and to get proper redressal. If you to go to your local police station, you will be redirected to cybercrime police station and when you reach there they will accuse you for becoming a victim.

First step in such a situation should be to report the incident to https://cybercrime.gov.in/ . There are two categories to report the crime

i.             Financial Fraud

ii.           Other Fraud

Select the appropriate option while you report. Upload all screenshots and documents in connection with the crime and once you submit the complaint a PDF containing a complaint registration number will be generated. Keep a hard copy of it with you.

 

Second Step: Now approach your nearest cyber crime police station and lodge a written compliant to them with all details and supporting documents and get a receipt from them. Don’t forget to attach a copy of the earlier online complaint with the complaint with the cyber crime police station;

 

Third Step: Wait for seven days after lodging the complaint to cyber crime police station and if no action is taken, write the Deputy Commissioner of Police of your jurisdiction or to Superintendent of Police of your jurisdiction giving reference of first and second complaint;

 

Fourth Step: If your third complaint also fails to initiate any action on the part of the police file petition before the Learned Court of your jurisdiction under section 156 Clause 3 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 attaching copies of earlier three complaints and pray for a direction upon the police to register your complaint as an FIR and to cause investigation.

 

Conclusion: Prevention is better than cure. So I will suggest you follow few steps to avoid being a victim of cyber crime and if despite that you become a victim, don’t sit idle but avail above detailed legal steps.

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