Cyber Crime: Targeting Women and Children
A notice was posted on the Facebook page of an organization called 'Political Literacy for Women' on 27 April. In which it was written, the ‘Nepali baby group has been banned by Reddit and the cyber bureau has also stated that it is being investigated. We are watching the government. Let's see who wins, whether it is patriarchy or justice. 'During the lockdown, the' Nepali Babies' group was formed on social media Reddit and the photos of Nepali girls were misused. The victim girls found out that their photos were being misused without permission. He then lodged a complaint with the Nepal Police Cyber Bureau. Police removed the objectionable comments in coordination with Reddit. However, the police are still investigating who misused the personal image of the public.
Some time ago, a fake Facebook account was opened in the name of Rama (name changed). The profile and cover photo of the account was from Ramakai, which was taken from her real account. The messenger of the account started sending nude photos to her relatives showing the back of the unidentified woman's body. Rama became anxious when she started sharing nude photos from her name account. Eventually, she appealed to the cyber bureau. Police arrested a person who opened a fake account in his name and filed a case under the Electronic Transactions Act. After the case, the man was released on Rs 50,000 bail.
These are just two examples of cyberspace crimes committed during the lockdown. To stop the possible spread of the Kovid-19 epidemic which is spreading globally, Nepal has been shutting down since 11 April 2076. During the lockdown, there was a massive decline in economic and social activities as well as a human activity, which reduced the overall crime graph in the society. People were confined to closed rooms. However, the strange thing is that even during this period, the incidence of cybercrime through social media and the internet did not decrease at all.
According to the Nepal Police, Cyber Bureau, a total of 219 applications related to cybercrime were registered across the country in March last year. Meanwhile, 232 cases of cybercrime have been registered in the month of Baishakh. Which is 13 more than Fagun. From June 1 to 9 alone, 62 applications related to cybercrime have been registered in the bureau. According to the records of the bureau, 79 applications were registered during the lockdown period from 11 to 32 April. In all, 373 cybercrime applications have been registered with the Bureau in just two months of lockdown. "Lockdown is more misused than online," says Navindra Aryal, head of the cyber bureau.
The incidents show that women are the victims of cybercrime in Nepal and then children. Bureau chief Aryal also said that women and children are being targeted more now. "Everyone has a mobile phone in their hands, there is a trend of killing, luring, taking tempting videos and making it a weapon of blackmail," she said. "Women are the biggest victims, followed by children, cybercrime."
According to the complaints received by the bureau, the most affected by cybercrime are 'underage' children and women in the age group of 20 to 40 years. In the two months since the lockdown, the bureau has received 106 complaints of cybercrime-related to women and 18 complaints related to children. Of those who lodged complaints in March, 125 were women and 88 were men. Some women keep such incidents secret out of fear. Looking at it this way, it can be estimated that more women and children are victims of cybercrime.
Why are more women being targeted in cyberspace?
Prakriti Bhattarai Basnet, head of Political Literacy for Women, a hashtag #notanymore campaign against cyberbullying against women, says the main reason is patriarchal culture. "Women don't have the habit of talking about cybercrime. We don't respond to any harassment in cyberspace," she says. "We keep quiet about blackmailing men because of our identities." More women are being targeted by cybercriminals as they are passive in the name of saving their identities. Our silence has only increased the morale of the criminals and we are becoming more and more victims. ' This campaign emphasizes three main points. The first is to raise awareness on how to use social media properly, the second is to collect stories about the crimes being committed against women in cyberspace and the third is to provide legal advice to the victims. Basnet says that the campaign is working on the concept of 'Let's not block, let's teach a lesson' keeping in mind that many women block themselves when they are harassed in cyberspace.
Advocate Neema Giri says that women are also victims of cybercrime due to financial dependence and lack of adequate information about the internet. ‘They are also trapped by the lack of information about the internet and social media. We don't care if it can be hacked or public, 'she says.' Everything seems to be open on social media. Boyfriend, internet with a partner, and Sami also remind many who talk openly through social media. 'She also claims that women are victims of cybercrime because of their financial dependence on men.
The nature of cybercrime also appears to be largely related to sexual violence. "Cybercrime such as photo multinational, revenge porn, ransomware attack, defamation, cyberstalking, cyberbullying, harassment, an impostor is seen in Nepal," says Aryal. Nature agrees. The stories collected by the campaign run by his organization show the same. "Most of the problems of 15-16-year-olds posting photos on porn sites, creating fake accounts, taking photos and photoshops are more prevalent," says Prakriti. She said that she was becoming a perpetrator or victim of cybercrime without knowing it.
Both the victim and the perpetrator of an incident in Kavre were minors. The perpetrator raped the victim and took video from the victim's mobile phone. The video spread through the Internet as a friend and reached porn sites. The victim was prosecuted under the Electronic Transactions Act. He is now in a juvenile home.
A recent study of children between the ages of 13 and 18 found that 49 percent were unaware of the dangers of using social media and the Internet. According to a survey conducted by an organization called EPACT, 56.6 percent of teens were unaware of cyber law and 9.3 percent shared passwords with friends. The study found that 8.7 percent of people send hurtful messages to get revenge out of anger. It also showed that children have a higher risk of cybercrime. Events are showing the same thing. "Because children are curious, cybercrime is also caused by those who misuse it," adds Neema.
In the cases provided to the weekly by the cyber bureau, the character was killed by posting obscene photos taken during a previous relationship by making fake IDs, forcing people to call him in his room to pass the exam, blackmailing him through social media, sending half-naked photos from fake Facebook IDs and emojis. There are more incidents of sending fake messages and pornographic messages with fake IDs, sending sexually explicit messages and nude photos to women. In some cases, intimate videos and photos taken when the relationship was good to have become a weapon of 'blackmailing' after the relationship have deteriorated. Some young women are victims of cybercrime due to financial dependence.
Women and children also seem to be victims of cybercrime, such as making friends with strangers on social media, sharing important personal information on the Internet and the virtual world, sharing photos and videos and passwords with strangers, intimate conversations in chats, and sharing sensitive scenes in video calls. There are also complaints in the cyber bureau that some people add obscene material to their heads out of momentary impulse. Experts stress the need to strengthen one's own security to prevent cybercrime.
The President of the Center for Cyber Security Research and Innovation (CSRI), P.D. Suvarna Shakya says that the process of the security system should be completed and attention should be paid to the copyright issue. "People should use security options on social media properly, and passwords should be strengthened," he says. "Besides, they should focus on sharing only what is necessary, not making everything public, and claiming copyright." According to him, using one's social media or internet content internationally. Approval must be obtained before doing so, otherwise, copyright may be noted. He said that there are also acts like spoiling the photo and attaching it to another photo, adding that those who do such work can be brought under the ambit of legal action.
However, due to the cumbersome legal process and the limited space available to victims, many cases related to cybercrime remain secret before reaching the legal process. There are also loopholes in the management and research of cyber law in Nepal. Due to which the perpetrators of cyberspace do not come under the purview of law easily. Therefore, Shakya emphasizes the need to strengthen cybersecurity laws. Advocate Giri also insists that the legal provisions related to cybercrime are not adequate. "Cybercrime laws are not enough," she says. "Another problem is the limitations." For example, the case is heard only in the Kathmandu District Court. To lodge a complaint, one has to go to the Crime Branch, Teku, or the Central Cyber Bureau, Bhotahiti. There is no place to go elsewhere. Even if the cybercrime is committed in Jumla, people are forced to come to Kathmandu. ' As it is a crime based on technology, its investigation is not easy. Facebook, Instagram police are also facing problems in the investigation as there is no support office of social networks like Ram, Gmail, Twitter, Emo, WhatsApp in Nepal.
The incidence of cybercrime is higher than in other cybercrime cases. That also has the most cases on Facebook. Of the 219 cybercrime complaints received by the bureau last February, 204 were related to Facebook, 5 to Instagram, 2/2 to emojis and YouTube, 1/1 to Viber, and WhatsApp and 3 to other social sites. Similarly, a bureau hacking complaint was lodged with the bureau in the same month.
These are the trends of cybercrime
Photo Molestation: Putting a person's face in a variety of nude photos on the Internet
Revenge Porn: Publishing pornographic photos and videos on the Internet
Ransomware Attack: Taking all the information under control and demanding ransom
Impostor: Using another person's name and photo on social media, opening a profile page to insult and hurt
Brute Force Attack: Attack in various ways for hacking
Defamation: To tarnish the reputation of a person or company with a good reputation
Cyber Stalking: Bullying using various tools and means
Cyber Bullying: Harassment and harassment using various tools and means
Apart from that, cyber crimes like hacking, unauthorized access, threatening through SMS on mobile, financial crime, fraud through online are seen in Nepal.
Source: Cyber Bureau
