1) PROCEDURE TO REPORT CYBER CRIME

Report online financial fraud at the National cybercrime helpline number 1930. Note :
Complainant who registered complaint using "Report & Track" option on the National Cyber
Crime Reporting Portal,may contact the respective State/UT Nodal Officer or Grievance
Officer if the response has not been appropriate.
Madras High Court circular has clearly stated that FIRs need not be insisted after the crime is
registered at the national portal. Contacting 1930 immediately is the first line of action by
victims against financial cyber frauds.

Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India has set up ‘Indian Cyber Crime Coordination
Centre (I4C)’ to deal with cybercrimes in a coordinated and comprehensive manner.
Following are seven components of the centre:

1. National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit (TAU)

2. National Cybercrime Forensic Laboratory (NCFL)

3. National Cybercrime Training Centre (NCTC)

4. Cybercrime Ecosystem Management

5. Platform for Joint Cybercrime Investigation Team

6. National Cybercrime Reporting Portal

7. National Cyber Research and Innovation Centre (NCR&IC)

One of the components of I4C is operationalisation of National Cybercrime Reporting Portal

to deal with all types of cybercrimes.

the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal facilitates filing of all types of cybercrimes with
special focus on the cybercrime against women and children.

Working of the Portal

i. This portal facilitates a person to report any kind of cybercrime under various available
category and sub-category, including cybercrimes affecting women and children.

ii. There is a dedicated section ‘Learn about Cybercrime’ on the home page of
cybercrime.gov.in portal under which you can find out description of various type of
cybercrime that can be reported through this portal

iii. Assignment of a reported complaint to a State/UT is done on the basis of the address of
the complainant.

iv. The jurisdictional State/UT law enforcement agency will also send the update of action
taken on the registered mobile number and e-mail ID.
 v. In case complainant is not satisfied with the action taken by the State/UT law enforcement
agency he/she can reach out to grievance officers of the concerned State/UT.

Citizen Financial Cyber Frauds Reporting and Management System (For Delhi Only) Steps
for reporting of financial cyber frauds:

i) incident on National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (www.cybercrime.gov.in).

ii) A Bank or financial intermediary or payment wallet can also report financial cyber fraud
through above-mentioned modes.

iii) The complainant must provide the following information in case incident is reported on
helpline number:

• Mobile Number of the complainant

• Name of Bank/Wallet/Merchant from which amount has been debited

• Account No./Wallet Id/Merchant Id/UPI Id from which amount has been debited •
Transaction Id

• Transaction date

• Debit card/Credit card number in case of fraud made by using credentials of Debit
card/Credit card

• Screen shot of transaction or any other image related to fraud, if available

iv) After reporting of complaint/incident, the complainant will get a system generated Log-in
Id/acknowledgement number through SMS/Mail. Using the above Log-in
Id/acknowledgement number, the complainant must complete registration of complaint on
National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (www.cybercrime.gov.in) within 24 hours. This is
mandatory.

v) On receipt of complaint, the designated Police Officer will quickly examine the matter
and after verification report to concerned Bank/financial intermediary or payment wallet, etc.,
for blocking the money involved in the financial cyber fraud.

vi) Thereafter, due action as per law will be taken in each case by Police/Bank/Payment
wallet/Financial Intermediary.

vii) Use of this facility will help a victim of financial cyber fraud in retrieving the money and
help Police in identifying the cyber criminal(s) and take legal action as per law.

2) SOME BASIC RULES FOR SAFE OPERATION OF COMPUTER AND

INTERNET
Here are some basic rules for safe computer and internet operation:
 Use strong passwords: Create strong passwords that are not easily guessable and don't share
them with others.
 Keep software up to date: Keep your operating system, web browser, and security software
up to date. You can also enable automatic updates.
 Use a secure connection: Use a secure internet connection.
 Be careful with attachments: Scan all attachments before opening them, especially from
people you don't know.
 Be careful with links: Hover over links in emails to see the true URL before clicking.
 Use a pop-up blocker: Use a program to block pop-up windows.
 Back up data: Back up your data regularly, and encrypt sensitive data.
 Close unused accounts: Close accounts you don't use anymore.
 Be careful what you download: Don't download programs from untrusted sites.
 Be careful what you post: Be careful about what you post online and where.
 Understand chat room rules: If you use a chat room, make sure you understand the rules.
 Shut down or disconnect your computer: When you're not using your computer, shut it
down or disconnect it from the internet.

7 Basic Internet Safety Tips

 Protect Your Personal Information With Strong Passwords. ...
 Keep Personal Information Private. ...
 Make Sure Your Devices Are Secure. ...
 Pay Attention to Software Updates. ...
 Be Careful About Wifi. ...
 Set Up Two-Factor Authentication. ...
 Back Up Your Personal Data.

3) CRIMINAL LAW AMENDMENT ACT 2013

The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act of 2013 was passed by the Indian Parliament to amend
the Indian Penal Code, Indian Evidence Act, and Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. The act
was a response to the 2012 gang rape of a medical student, known as the Nirbhaya case. The
act's goals were to:

 Ensure that sexual offenses are punished severely and quickly

The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013 introduced several new sections and
amendments to the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Code of Criminal Procedure
(CrPC):

 Section 166A: Makes it an offense for public servants to deny filing an FIR in certain crimes against
women
  Section 166B: Makes it a punishable offense for a hospital to deny free treatment to victims of rape

 Section 309: Requires sexual offense trials to be completed within two months of the chargesheet
being filed

 Section 326A and 326B: Added provisions for acid attacks

 Section 354A, 354B, 354C, and 354D: Added provisions for new sexual offenses

 Section 376A, 376B, 376C, 376D, and 376E: Amended sections relating to rape

 Section 154(1): Added special provisions for recording FIRs for certain offenses

 Section 164(5A): Made it mandatory for a Judicial Magistrate to record the victim's statement for
certain offenses

 Section 197(1): Added an explanation that prior sanction from the government is not required for
prosecuting public servants for sexual abuse offenses
The act introduced several changes, including:

 New offenses
The act added new offenses to the Indian Penal Code, including sexual assault that causes
death or injury that leaves a person in a persistent vegetative state.
 Age of consent
The age of consent was raised from 16 to 18 years.
 Definition of rape
The definition of rape was expanded to include acts other than forcible sexual intercourse.
 Punishment for police
The act introduced a new provision to punish police officers who don't record an FIR in
cases of crimes against women.
 Punishment for hospital authorities
The act introduced a new provision to punish hospital authorities who refuse to provide free
treatment to rape victims.
 Stalking
The act introduced a new section to punish stalking.
 Compensation
The act added a provision that states that the compensation paid by the state government is
in addition to the fine paid to the victim.
 Hospitals
The act added a provision that states that hospitals must provide free medical treatment and
first aid to victims of certain offenses.

4) LEGISLATIVE REMEDIES FOR ONLINE HARASSMENT AND

CYBERSTALKING IN INDIA

India has multiple laws that can be used to address online harassment, including:
 Information Technology Act of 2000: Sections 66A, 66E, and 67 of this act provide legal
remedies for cyberbullying:
o Section 66A: Punishes harassment and dissing with up to three years in prison and a fine
o Section 66E: Punishes trickery and doxing with up to three years in prison, a fine of up to
two lakh rupees, or both
o Section 67: Punishes publishing or transmitting obscene material
 Indian Penal Code (IPC): Sections 354A, 354D, 499, 503, and 507 of the IPC can be used
to address online harassment:
o Sections 354A and 354D: Criminalize cyber bullying and stalking
o Section 499: Addresses defamation
o Section 503: Addresses criminal intimidation
o Section 507: Addresses criminal intimidation by anonymous communication
 Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act: Addresses online sexual
harassment of children
 Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986: Addresses reputation damage
of women by indecent representation
You can also:
 Contact the digital website authority to address the harassment
 Report the harassment to the centralized cybercrime reporting portal
 Register a complaint with the National Commission for Women (NCW)

The three most common types of cyber stalking are as follows:

Email stalking: This type of stalking involves the sender sending hateful, obscene, or
threatening emails to the recipient. Sometimes the attacker may also include viruses and spam
in the email.
Internet stalking: This type of stalking occurs when an individual spreads rumors or tracks
victims on the internet. The goal of spreading rumors is to slander the victim.
Computer stalking: This type of stalking occurs when an individual hacks into a victim’s
computer and takes control of it. This requires advanced computer skills; however, one can
find guidelines on the web.
Some of the common examples of cyberstalking are:
 Making rude, offensive, or suggestive online comments
 Joining the same groups and forums to follow the target online
 Sending the target threatening, controlling, or lewd messages or emails
 Making a fake social media profile to follow the victim
 Gaining access to the victim’s online accounts
 Posting or disseminating real or fictitious photos of the victim
 Attempting to obtain explicit photographs of the victim
 Tracking the victim’s online movements using tracking devices
 Mailing explicit photos of themselves to the victim on a regular basis, etc.
Laws in India against Cyberstalking
The following laws are available in India to deal with cyberstalking:
 Section 67 of the Information Technology Act of 2000: Penalises stalkers who send or
cause to be sent or published obscene posts or content on electronic media with up to three
years in prison and a fine.
 Section 67A of the Information Technology Act of 2000: Penalises anyone who sends or
causes to be sent or published in electronic media any material containing sexually explicit
acts or conduct. Up to five years in prison and a fine of up to five lakh rupees are the
penalties.
 Section 354D of the Indian Penal Code, 1860: Under this section, if a person monitors a
woman’s use of the internet, email, or any other form of electronic communication, that
person may face up to 3 years in prison as well as a fine. This is a bailable offense for first-
time offenders but not for repeat offenders.
If a woman is a victim of cyberstalking, she can file a complaint with any cybercrime unit,
regardless of where the incident occurred. Cyber cells are being established to address the
grievances of female victims.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Que1. What types of crimes are involved in cyberstalking?

Ans1. Threats, libel, defamation, sexual harassment, and other actions to control, influence,
or intimidate their target are all examples of cyberstalking.
Que2. Who is most vulnerable to cyberstalking?
Ans2. Females between the ages of 18 and 30 are the most likely victims of cyberstalking.
Que3. What causes cyberstalking?
Ans3. Cyberstalking happens because of a variety of factors such as vengeance, anger,
control, or even lust.
Que4. What should you do if someone is harassing you online?
Ans4. Report the cyber-harassment or cyberstalking to the police district where your business
and home are located, including all documentation.
Que5. What are some possible cyberstalking countermeasures?
Ans5. There are numerous possible countermeasures, including:
 Keeping your IP address hidden

 Changing your privacy settings

 Avoiding the disclosure of sensitive information
 Upgrade your software
 Keeping a low profile, and so on.