Cybercrime against women on the rise
MONETARY GAIN, DEFAMATION, STALKING ARE PRIME MOTIVES
Women are increasingly becoming a target of cybercriminals. Stories of women meeting men on social media sites, striking up a friendship with the man holding out the promise of marriage and then duping the woman of her money are legion. After cybercrime for monetary gains, stalking and defamation are next on the list.
Cybercrimes are carried out generally through fake IDs on Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms. Women are assailed by blackmail, bullying, cyberstalking, cheating and obscene messages on social networking platforms. Cybercriminals carry out these acts with ulterior motives such as illegal gain, revenge, insult to the modesty of a woman, extortion, blackmail, sexual exploitation, defamation, incite hate against a community, the wicked satisfaction of gaining control and to steal information, said a police official.
A senior cyber police official says, "Since cyberspace is easily accessible, dynamic and without borders, one has the liberty to post content anonymously. Most times, people take advantage of this fact to commit offences.”
According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), in 30 per cent of cases, the accused in cybercrimes against women are known to them. Vishal Thakur, deputy commissioner of police (cyber) says one should always have strong passwords and not share it with anyone. “In this new technological age, an antivirus programme has become a necessity, to keep from falling into any trap. Having a mobile phone or a tablet without a security system in place is like sitting in a house with the doors unlocked.”
The most common forms of cybercrimes against women include trolling, abusing, threatening, stalking, voyeurism, body-shaming, defaming, surveillance, revenge porn and other forms of indecent representation of women.
Recently, Versova Police arrested a cyberextortionist, who had allegedly hacked the social media accounts of model and Miss India 2011 finalist Arisha Jain, 25, and later asked for a ransom for Rs 1 lakh. The accused, identified as Chandra Prakash Joshi, was picked up by police from Andhra Pradesh and he is believed to have duped many others with a similar modus operandi.