FIGHTING DIGITAL ARRESTS AND OTHER CYBER CRIMES

 FIGHTING DIGITAL ARRESTS AND OTHER CYBER CRIMES

Be Aware and Remain Scam-Safe by Understanding The Modus Operandi of Cyber Thugs and The Ways of Tackling The Menace

Every other day, people living in various parts of India are increasingly found trapped in the ordeals of several modes of cyber crimes. Despite regular warnings being issued by government agencies, media, and NGOs, gullible citizens, especially amongst rural Indians, are increasingly falling prey to scammers; urban Indians, however, are no exception.

The growing incidences of digital arrests and other cyber crimes in this country are the most critical issues in the modern era, as its digital ecosystem is growing rapidly by leaps and bounds. Here are some important inputs to arm the readers to fight against the impending onslaughts of cybercrimes.

Cyber Crimes in India

The Types

The types of fraudulent cyber deals are numerous and limitless. However, the major ones are as here under:

Financial Fraud: Credit/Debit card fraud, phishing attacks, and fraudulent online transactions.

Identity Theft: Blatant misuse of personal data to create fake identities for illegal purposes.

Hacking: Unauthorized access to computer systems to steal, alter, or destroy data.

Cyberbullying and Harassment: Online defamation, threats, and abuse, particularly on social media.

Ransomware Attacks: Encrypting a user’s data and demanding payment for decryption keys.

Child Pornography and Exploitation: Sharing or accessing exploitative content related to minors.

Espionage and Cyber Terrorism: Cyberattacks aimed at critical infrastructure or government databases.

The Scammers' Common Tricks

The most common tricks being used by scammers are here with actions to be initiated by the possible targets given in the parentheses:

1. TRAI Phone Scam: Scammers threaten to suspend mobile services, citing illegal activities or KYC non-compliance. [In reality, TRAI never suspends services; only telecom companies can].

2. Parcel seized by Customs: Scammers claim that a parcel addressed to a person has been intercepted for containing contraband goods and demand a fine to absolve the charge. [Action entails immediately disconnecting the line and reporting the number to the cyber police].

3. Digital Arrest: Posing as police officers, the scammers threaten to interrogate persons online for a made-up criminal activity. [In reality, police never conduct digital arrests or online interrogation]

4. News of Family Members' Arrest: Scammers claim a relative has been arrested and demand payment for release. [It is necessary to verify with family members before taking action].

5. Getting rich in quick trading: Citing social media ads, scammers promise high returns on stock investments. [All high-return schemes are likely scams].

6. Big rewards for online jobs: Scammers offer high sums for simple tasks and then ask for an investment/security deposit.[Easy money is a surety for scams].

7. Receipt of Lottery: Sending SMS/email stating the probable victim has won a lottery and asking for account details or a security deposit. [To ignore/delete the message/email].

8. Mistaken Money Transfer: Scammers claim incorrect credit transactions and request refunds. [To verify transactions from one’s bank].

9. KYC Expired: Scammers ask for KYC updates via given links or phone calls [Banks never call or send links for any updates].

10. Generous Tax Refund: Fraudsters pose as tax officials asking for bank details [The Tax Dept. already has bank details and communicates directly.

Major Cases in India

The cases that made headlines are,

Cosmos Bank Cyber Attack (2018): A coordinated cyber heist that led to ₹94 crore loss.

APT Attacks: Advanced Persistent Threats targeting government and private entities.

Pegasus Spyware Scandal: Alleged misuse of surveillance software for unauthorized spying.

Statistics

The latest statistics revealed that cyber crimes in India have increased by over 20% from 2020 to 2023. Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, and Maharashtra report the highest numbers of cyber crimes in recent years.

Digital Arrests in India

Digital arrests, by definition, refer to the online detention of individuals for committing cyber crimes or violating digital and IT-related laws. This may involve tracing and apprehending suspects based on digital evidence. Recently the trend has been on a higher swing throughout the country..

Legal Framework

The available legal framework that governs the direction to act as a deterrent to cyber crimes can have the following instruments handy.

IT Act, 2000: This act governs cyber crimes and electronic commerce, with provisions for data protection, identity theft, and hacking.

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS): Used alongside the IT Act to address crimes such as defamation, extortion, and threats conducted online.

Personal Data Protection Bill (2023): Expected to strengthen data protection and address cyber-related offenses.

Section 66A (Struck Down): Originally criminalized offensive online content but was deemed unconstitutional in 2015.

Law Enforcement Challenges

Challenges include a lack of required technical expertise in police forces and several jurisdictional issues due to cyber crimes' global nature. Additionally, there are difficulties in tracing anonymous perpetrators using VPNs and the dark web. Also, there is inadequate infrastructure for digital forensics.

Key Combat Agencies

Key combating agencies presently available in the country include:

Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In): The team exclusively monitors and responds to cyber security incidents.

Cyber Crime Cells: Operational in various states for investigating and managing cybercrime cases.

National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC): Focuses on securing critical infrastructure from cyber threats.

Recent Developments in Prevention

Prevention of cybercrimes has, of late, been recommended priority access through several measures as mentioned here:

1. Cyber Crime Prevention Programs: i) Through Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C): A national hub for monitoring cybercrime and providing law enforcement training; ii) Cyber Swachhta Kendra: Promotes safe practices and provides tools to remove malware and other malicious software.

2. Awareness Campaigns: Campaigns like "Cyber Dost", educate citizens about online threats and prevention methods.

3. Digital Evidence: The latest uses of several digital trails e.g., looking for IP addresses, chat logs, email headers, etc. as evidential proofs are becoming more sophisticated in criminal investigations.

Recommendations

The following recommendations are made to all concerned aiming to eradicate these heinous crimes once and for all, which are:

1. Strengthening Laws: Update the IT Act to address evolving cyber threats and incorporate stronger penalties.

2. Capacity Building: Enhance technical training for law enforcement and the judiciary to deal with digital evidence and cyber cases.

3. Public Awareness: Promote awareness about cyber hygiene among citizens to reduce vulnerabilities.

4. Global Cooperation: Collaborate with international bodies to combat cross-border cyber crimes.

By Prof. (Dr.) Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya

(The writer is a Hyderabad-based distinguished freelance author, journo, speaker, leadership coach, and Emeritus Professor of Management Studies)