With mobile phones/gadgets in every hand, people not only have innumerable possibilities but they also become victims of nefarious activities carried out by others who misuse the boon of technology.
Cyber crime has now become a genre of crime which is growing at an alarming pace. With mobile phones/gadgets in every hand, people not only have innumerable possibilities but they also become victims of nefarious activities carried out by others who misuse the boon of technology.
“Your tax refund of Rs 15,490/- has been approved, this amount will be credited to your account number 5xxxxx6755. If this is not correct, please update your bank account information by visiting the link below.”
This is an example of a new phishing scam in which users receive income tax return refund messages with false bank account numbers and end up disclosing their personal information.
Edited excerpts from an interview with Vedika Ramdani, lawyer at Anantham Legal:
IANS: How do fraudsters misuse personal data?
Ramdani: Personal data is misused by fraudsters who impersonate Income Tax Department officials and defraud people of their hard-earned money in the name of fine by citing irregularities in their returns.
IANS: What precautionary measures can individuals take to keep themselves safe from potential scams?
Ramdani: One can take some precautions like – reporting the number the message comes from, not replying to it, not clicking on any link or attachment and using anti-virus and anti-spyware software on your computer.
According to the Income Tax website: “If you receive an email or come across a website that you believe is pretending to be from the Income Tax Department, please forward the email or website URL to webmanager@incometax.gov.in. A copy can also be sent to incident@cert-in.org.in. You can forward the message upon receipt or provide the Internet header of the email. Internet headers contain additional information to help us trace the sender. After you forward the email or header information to us, delete the message. However, often, people’s intelligence does not work and they fall into the trap of these cyber criminals.
IANS: What legal actions can individuals take in India, and how do the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act provide solutions?
Ramdani: Complain under the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and the Information Technology Act, 2000 – such as sections 415 (cheating), 416 (cheating by person), 418 (cheating knowing that it is likely to cause loss to a person whose interests are The offender is bound to protect, 420 (fraudulently and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 425 (mischief).
IANS: How do the challenges associated with investigating criminal networks contribute to the complexity of law enforcement efforts in combating cyber crimes?
Ramdani: Sometimes it is difficult to trace the internal network created by these criminals and that requires extensive follow-up of CDRs and tracing the computer source involved in cases of conspiracy (punishable under section 120B of IPC, 1860). There is a need because in some cases the dark-web is also involved which is a completely different ball game.
IANS: How important is the establishment of special committees and law enforcement teams, in addressing the complexity of cyber crime and financial fraud?
Ramdani: The need of the hour is to have special committees and teams in law enforcement to remove multiple layers so that the movement of money does not become sluggish and more specific stringent laws related to the issues are made.
IANS: How does the perceived inadequacy of punishments underline the need for reform?
Ramdani: One thing is certain that the punishments given in the above sections cannot act as a deterrent and often in such cases bail is easily granted on the basis of the fact that the investigation is incomplete and the trial will take a lot of time. Revival of the punitive aspect is also necessary.
