Duped, hacked and wiped: Implications of cybercrimes on people and policing

Buying, selling, earning and learning can all be done remotely now. But be warned of the flipside of technology that also allows a person hundreds of miles away to wipe out all our savings

Technology is a blessing since it has brought all of us closer. A daily wage earner no longer has to stand in queue in the bank to remit his earnings to his family back in the village. He only swipes a few times on his phone, and it is done. An auto driver no longer has to fumble in calculation and provide change for cash payment. New-age business is online, and a cash-free transaction.

The flipside of this, however, are the increasing crimes committed through technology. Remotely, someone sitting in Jamtara can hack a bank account and swipe out a common man’s entire life savings. Every time we initiate a transaction, we run the risk of exposing our private details like phone number and bank account number to the deep dark web. Everything gets stored in clouds, and someone can hack into that data and create mayhem in the lives of hapless individuals.

There are many forms of cybercrimes that are rampant today. Using social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, young girls are often befriended and lured into relationships, and then either blackmailed or trafficked. Photographs uploaded on any social media platform get lost in the cloud. They can later be misused through photo morphing. Child pornography is another area of grave concern.

Forgery is also an easy crime given that Aadhaar and Permanent Account Number (PAN) cards are strewn all across, since the information is commonly shared. Many corporates also fall prey to hackers. Hence, from young children to adults to large business entities, everyone is at risk today. In 2021, Bengaluru city registered 6,423 cases as compared to Delhi (345), Mumbai (2,883), Chennai (76) and Kolkata (220).

Cybercrimes are popular because they can be done remotely. From the comfort of one’s home, through a few clicks and swipes, large amounts of money can be stolen. Irrespective of location, anyone with a device, a moderately stable internet connection can make a quick buck.

A person can make either an innocent phone call or send a text message promising quick returns or KYC enquiry, and hope that a gullible person can be tricked. Unlike traditional crimes of theft or dacoity, one doesn’t have to do any recce or stalk a target, or select a date and time. Many young people, both men and women, are recruited to call, con and then trash the SIM card. Thus leaving behind no clue, no trace. Given the nature of this crime, it becomes impossible to trace the criminals.

The invisibility of the perpetrators has changed the perception of crime. It is easy to recruit people for such crimes because they are physically not involved. There is no direct interface with the victim, no scuffle, no need to run or hide. It is a white-collar crime with a huge network of people recruited as scamsters from remote locations. Usually, most of the cybercriminals operate from outside the state and are based in places like New Delhi, Rajasthan, West Bengal or Jharkhand. The modus operandi is simple. They use fake SIM cards to commit offences. Fake bank accounts are created to siphon off the victim’s money and to divert the investigating agencies.