The Mumbai Police are tracking a disturbing trend of jilted lovers and pranksters misusing cyberspace to get even.
Virtual is the new real, not just to express affection 24x7, but also to seek revenge.
Gone are the days of incessant crank calls and even acid attacks to avenge being dumped or given the cold shoulder. The Mumbai Police are now tracking a disturbing trend of jilted lovers and pranksters misusing cyberspace to get even.
Creating fake profiles on social networking and matrimonial websites to lure gullible women is also becoming a fad.
Last year, the cyber crime investigation cell (CCIC) of the Mumbai Police received the highest number of complaints relating to the posting of fake profiles and uploading of obscene pictures or personal information of other people, as compared to other cases of cyber crime. Such cases comprised nearly 30% of all complaints received by the department. In some cases, the mobile or landline numbers of victims were also posted on the websites.
"Yes, the trend is disturbing," said joint commissioner of police Rakesh Maria, who heads the crime branch. "Apart from sensitisation programmes in schools and colleges, we are also conducting several sessions with young executives in MNCs."
The police hope that these programme, which include awareness, sensitisation, and the repercussions of such acts, will persuade net users to refrain from such acts.
The CCIC received 218 complaint applications last year, a majority of which were from women. "In most applications, investigations revealed that the accused was someone known to the complainant," said inspector Mukund Pawar of the CCIC. "The accused was either a jilted lover or a rival who wanted to get even with the complainant."
Other kinds of cyber crime include credit card frauds, phishing, threatening emails, cheating people by offering them jobs, and hacking or tampering of source codes.
"There have been cases where educated people have fallen prey to online job rackets," said Maria. CCIC officers arrested an MBA from Bangalore last Tuesday who had cheated a doctor by posting his fake profile and pictures on a leading matrimonial
website.
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