Vinod Chandrashekhar Dixit
Cybercrime is on the rise in Jammu and Kashmir, with a significant increase in reported cases over the years.95% of reported cybercrime cases involve bank-related frauds, where individuals are duped out of their money through fake transactions or phishing scams.12 per cent of cases are related to child exploitation, sextortion, and other forms of digital abuse, where victims are coerced into sharing compromising photos or videos.
As the use of internet is increasing, a new face of crime is spreading rapidly from in-person crime to nameless and faceless crimes involving computers. Cyber Crime includes all unauthorized access of information and break security like privacy, password, etc. with the use of internet. Cybercrime also includes criminal activities performed by the use of computers like virus attacks, financial crimes, e-mail spamming, cyber phishing, cyber stalking, unauthorized access to computer system, theft of information contained in the electronic form, e-mail bombing, physically damaging the computer system, etc.
The internet brings joy to our lives but at the same time it has some negative sides too. The cyber criminals are always in a search to find out the new ways to attack the possible internet victims. New generation is growing up with computers and most important is that all the monetary transactions are moving on to the internet. So, it has become very important for us to be aware of the various Cybercrimes.
Recently in the rise of a concerning prickle in cybercrimes across Jammu and Kashmir, Senior Superintendent of Police (Cyber) Mohammad Yaseen Kichloo has cautioned the public about increasingly sophisticated digital scams that are defrauding and exploiting people across the Union Territory.
Cyber slavery is a growing concern in Jammu and Kashmir, where young people are being lured by fake job offers abroad, only to find themselves trapped in foreign countries and forced to operate scams. Here fake job consultancies promise lucrative employment opportunities abroad, but instead, victims are trafficked to countries like Myanmar and Cambodia. They’re then forced to run cyber scams, often targeting innocent people worldwide.
SSP Mohammad Yaseen Kichloo, head of the Cybercrime Investigation Centre for Excellence has already warned parents and youth to verify job offers and consultancies carefully. A staggering 95% of reported cybercrime cases in Jammu and Kashmir involve financial scams, while 12% are related to child exploitation, sextortion, and other forms of digital abuse.
In order to protect oneself, it is very much necessary to verify job opportunities thoroughly, especially those promising high salaries or easy work and avoid clicking on unknown links or responding to suspicious messages. One must keep their personal and financial information secure, and never share it with unknown individuals or organizations.
Sextortion is a form of exploitation where individuals, often in positions of power or authority, use coercion, manipulation, or threats to extort sexual favors, images, or videos from others. This can occur online or offline and can have severe emotional and psychological consequences for the victims. Sextortion is a growing concern in Jammu and Kashmir, with cybercriminals using sophisticated tactics to trick victims into compromising situations. Here victims receive random video calls via WhatsApp or Messenger, often from fraudsters posing as nude individuals. These calls are recorded and later used to blackmail the victims with threats of sharing the footage online or with family members. In October 2022, two individuals were arrested in Anantnag district for allegedly being involved in a sextortion case. The victims were lured through WhatsApp groups and forced into sexual relationships after being sedated and blackmailed. According to SSP Kichloo, 12 per cent of cybercrime cases in Jammu and Kashmir are related to child exploitation, sextortion, and other forms of digital abuse.
Legislation cannot totally succeed in eliminating crime but we must be aware of our rights and duties. In order to avoid falling prey to sextortion, people must be cautious when receiving unknown video calls, avoid sharing sensitive information, and report suspicious activity to the cyber helpline.
(The author is a freelancer and can be reached at [email protected])
