Sunday 1 November 2015

Cyber crime

CYBER CRIME ON FACEBOOK

Cyber crime is       criminal activity done   using computers and   the internet.
There’s no doubt that Facebook has completely revolutionized the way people interact. But there’s a dark side to the world’s love affair with social media. Criminals are finding new ways to utilize Facebook to commit new and disturbing crimes. That’s why if you want to continue to enjoy social media, you should be aware of the common crimes committed on Facebook so that you can avoid becoming a victim.
Why should we know about cyber crime….?
In this tech-savvy world of 21st century everyone is engaged with internet, through whatsapp, twitter, facebook and net-banking & lots of other platforms are there.
Some criminal minded persons commit crimes here,which is included under cyber-crimes.
So we should be aware about crimes happening around in the cyber-space.

Objectives :-
To provide a general awareness of cyber-crimes
To recognize cyber-crime methods
To know the importance of cyber-law
To learn how to keep away from being a victim


Here are the seven most common Facebook crimes :-
Scams
Criminals have been utilizing the scam for centuries. In the Facebook world, scams are particularly effective at drawing people in by simply enticing an individual to click on a link that would interest almost anyone, such as an innocent-looking notification that you’ve won a free prize like a gift card. Then, in order to claim the prize, scammers require you to submit some information, such as a credit card number or Social Security number. This description may make it seem like scams are easy to spot, but even the most savvy social media user has to be on the lookout for illegitimate requests for information.
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is a common occurrence among teenagers on Facebook and one that can result in serious criminal charges if it goes far enough. Cyberbullying on Facebook has contributed to the deaths of several teens who either committed suicide or were killed by a peer. Cyberbullying that involves hacking or password and identity theft may be punishable under state and federal law. When adults engage in this kind of online behavior it is called cyber-harassment or cyberstalking.
Stalking
The term “stalking” is thrown around a lot on Facebook, and it is often meant as a joke for regularly looking at someone’s profile. However, the actual act of cyberstalking is a common crime on the social networking site and can result in a serious offense. Cyberstalking typically involves harassing a person with messages, written threats, and other persistent online behavior that endangers a person’s safety. Although cyberstalking may seem like nothing more than annoying behavior, it is a legitimate cause for concern in many cases and can even lead to in-person stalking or endangerment if not treated seriously.
Robbery
It doesn’t take much for a thief to find out where you live, go to school, work, or hang out if you make that information readily available on Facebook. If you use Facebook’s check-in or Google Maps feature, then you could be in a heap of trouble if a robber is paying attention. This person isn’t always a complete stranger either; they may be an old acquaintance or someone else you’d never expect to come rob you.
Identity theft
With the large amount of personal information swarming around Facebook these days, it has become fairly easy for criminals to steal users’ identities. Hackers often break into users’ e-mails and make fake Facebook accounts. From there they can access personal and bank information and cause havoc to your sense of security. Protect yourself from identity theft on Facebook by keeping your profile very secure and free of personal information that a criminal would love to have.
Defamation
An individual commits the crime of defamation when they communicate a false statement to a third party that paints another individual or entity in a negative light. Facebook makes communicating defamatory statements frighteningly easy, and the exposure Facebook provides makes it more likely that businesses or individuals will be harmed by the defamatory statement, and thus more likely to pursue legal remedies. Be careful what you say on Facebook; you may be committing a crime without even knowing it.
Harassment
Harassment happens all the time on Facebook. From sexual harassment to assault threats, there has been a significant increase in the number of harassment cases happening on Facebook. It’s not uncommon for sex offenders and sexual predators to prey on unsuspecting victims on Facebook and even pose as a teen or college student. Harassing messages, inappropriate comments, and other persistent behaviors should be reported to Facebook and your local police station.
References
http://www.thebestdegrees.org/7-most-common-facebook-crimes/







Case of Cyberstalking :-

Seema Khanna (name changed),
 an employee with an
embassy in New Delhi, know that web surfing would lead to an invasion of her privacy.
In an apparent case of cyber stalking, Khanna (32) received a series of messages on facebook from a man asking her to either pose in the
nude for him or pay Rs 1 lakh to him. In her complaint to Delhi Police, the woman said she started receiving these messages in the third week of November.The accused threatened Khanna that he would put her morphed
pictures on display at sex websites , along with her telephone number and address. He also allegedly threatened to put up these pictures in her neighbourhood in southwest Delhi."Initially, she ignored the messages , but soon she started receiving
letters through post, repeating the same threat. She was forced to report the matter to the police," said an officer with cyber crime cell.
That, however, was not the end of her ordeal. The accused
messaged the woman her photographs .The police said the accused had hacked her username and password which enabled him to access the pictures.
A preliminary inquiry into the complaint has revealed that the
messages were sent to the victim from a cyber cafe in south Delhi.
"We hope to trace the accused soon," said deputy
commissioner of police (crime) Dependra Pathak.
The police feel the accused might be known to the victim as he seemed to know a lot about her.


Facebook crimes comes under Section 66A of the IT act 2000:-
What is section 66Aof the IT act 2000?
The Information Technology Act 2000 was drafted in order to regularise the contents or documents that are broadcasted via any communication medium like computer, internet, press etc. It has 92 sections. In particular, Section 66A was drafted to tackle the informationthat was being circulated via any communication devices like mobile phones and computers.The Act says, “any person who sends, by means of a computer resource or a communication device,a)  any information that is grossly offensive or has menacing character,b)  any information which he knows to be false, but for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience,  danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred, or ill will, persistently by making use of such computer resource or a communication device,c)  any electronic mail or electronic mail messagefor the purpose of causing annoyance or inconvenience or to deceive or to mislead the addressee or recipient about the origin of such messages,shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and with fine."Experts of the of the IT Act have heavily criticisedthe section for having adopted from the UK Communication Act 2003 and the Communications Act 1988. Both the acts are applicable only when the communication is directed to a specific person.Snehashish Ghosh, Policy Associate at Centre forInternet and Society, says inThe Business Line: “Section 1 of the Malicious Prosecution Act begins stating that, “any person who sends to another person.” Therefore it is clear that the provision does not include any post or electronic communication which is broadcasted to the world and deals with only one-to-one communication.