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Cybercrime – De;nition, Types, and Reporting

Cybercrime –
De1nition, Types,
and Reporting
LAST UPDATED ON JULY 11, 2024 BY
ALEX ANDREWS GEORGE

What is cybercrime? What are the types of

cyber crimes? How to 4le a cybercrime
complaint? How to use cybercrime.gov.in?
Read to know more.

Computers, mobile phones, and the internet

have changed modern life. They provide us
with many bene;ts.

However, information technology also

makes us vulnerable to a wide range of
threats. These threats may result in
;nancial loss or damage to our reputation.

A minor lapse in managing our digital lives

can open the door to cybercriminals. So it is
extremely important to know how to
prevent us from cybercrimes.

Table of Contents
1. What is cybercrime?
2. De;nition of Cyber Crime
3. Two Main Types of Cybercrimes
4. List of Cybercrimes: Examples
4.1. 1. Child Pornography OR Child sexually
abusive material (CSAM)
4.2. 2. Cyber Bullying
4.3. 3. Cyber Stalking
4.4. 4. Cyber Grooming
4.5. 5. Online Job Fraud
4.6. 6. Online Sextortion
4.7. 7. Phishing
4.8. 8. Vishing
4.9. 9. Smishing
4.10. 10. Sexting
4.11. 11. SIM Swap Scam
4.12. 12. Credit Card Fraud or Debit Card
Fraud
4.13. 13. Impersonation and identity theft
4.14. 14. Spamming
4.15. 15. Ransomware
4.16. 16. Viruses, Worms, and Trojans
4.17. 17. Data Breach
4.18. 18. Denial of Services (DoS) attack
4.19. 19. Website Defacement
4.20. 20. Cyber-Squatting
4.21. 21. Pharming
4.22. 22. Cryptojacking
4.23. 23. Online Drug Traicking
4.24. 24. Espionage
5. How to ;le a Cybercrime complaint
online in India?
6. National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal
of India
7. Cybercrime Helpline Number
8. Indian Computer Emergency Response
Team (CERT-IN or ICERT)
9. Cyber Laws in India

What is cybercrime?
Cyber Crimes | Science an…

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Cybercrime is a crime involving computers

and networks.

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The computer may have been used in the

execution of a crime or it may be the target.

De1nition of Cyber Crime

Cybercrime may be de;ned as “Any
unlawful act where computer or
communication device or computer
network is used to commit or facilitate the
commission of a crime”.

Two Main Types of

Cybercrimes
Most cybercrime falls under two main
categories:

Criminal activity that targets

computers.
Criminal activity that uses computers.

Cybercrime that targets computers often

involves malware like viruses.

Cybercrime that uses computers to commit

other crimes may involve using computers
to spread malware, illegal information or
illegal images.

List of Cybercrimes:
Examples

Cybercrimes include monetary crimes as

well as non-monetary offences. The crimes
result in damage to persons, computers, or
governments.

1. Child Pornography OR Child

sexually abusive material
(CSAM)
Child sexually abusive material (CSAM)
refers to a material containing sexual
images in any form, of a child who is
abused or sexually exploited. Section 67 (B)
of the IT Act states that “it is punishable for
publishing or transmitting of material
depicting children in the sexually explicit
act, etc. in electronic form.

2. Cyber Bullying
A form of harassment or bullying in]icted
through the use of electronic or
communication devices such as
computers, mobile phones, laptops, etc.

3. Cyber Stalking
Cyberstalking is the use of electronic
communication by a person to follow a
person, or attempts to contact a person to
foster personal interaction repeatedly
despite a clear indication of disinterest by
such person; or monitors the internet, email
or any other form of electronic
communication commits the offence of
stalking.

4. Cyber Grooming
Cyber Grooming is when a person builds an
online relationship with a young person and
tricks or pressures him/ her into doing a
sexual act.

5. Online Job Fraud

Online Job Fraud is an attempt to defraud
people who are in need of employment by
giving them false hope/ promise of better
employment with higher wages.

6. Online Sextortion
Online Sextortion occurs when someone
threatens to distribute private and sensitive
material using an electronic medium if he/
she doesn’t provide images of a sexual
nature, sexual favours, or money.

7. Phishing
Phishing is a type of fraud that involves
stealing personal information such as
Customer ID, IPIN, Credit/Debit Card
number, Card expiry date, CVV number, etc.
through emails that appear to be from a
legitimate source.

8. Vishing
Vishing is an attempt where fraudsters try
to seek personal information like Customer
ID, Net Banking password, ATM PIN, OTP,
Card expiry date, CVV etc. through a phone
call.

9. Smishing
Smishing is a type of fraud that uses mobile
phone text messages to lure victims into
calling back on a fraudulent phone number,
visiting fraudulent websites or downloading
malicious content via phone or web.

10. Sexting
Sexting is an act of sending sexually explicit
digital images, videos, text messages, or
emails, usually by cell phone.

11. SIM Swap Scam

SIM Swap Scam occurs when fraudsters
manage to get a new SIM card issued
against a registered mobile number
fraudulently through the mobile service
provider. With the help of this new SIM card,
they get One Time Password (OTP) and
alerts, required for making ;nancial
transactions through the victim’s bank
account. Getting a new SIM card against a
registered mobile number fraudulently is
known as SIM Swap.

12. Credit Card Fraud or Debit

Card Fraud
Credit card (or debit card) fraud involves the
unauthorized use of another’s credit or
debit card information for the purpose of
purchases or withdrawing funds from it.

13. Impersonation and identity

theft
Impersonation and identity theft is an act of
fraudulently or dishonestly making use of
the electronic signature, password or any
other unique identi;cation feature of any
other person.

14. Spamming
Spamming occurs when someone receives
an unsolicited commercial message sent
via email, SMS, MMS and any other similar
electronic messaging media. They may try
to persuade the recipient to buy a product
or service, or visit a website where he can
make purchases, or they may attempt to
trick him/ her into divulging bank account
or credit card details.

15. Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of computer
malware that encrypts the ;les, storage
media on communication devices like
desktops, Laptops, Mobile phones etc.,
holding data/information as a hostage. The
victim is asked to pay the demanded
ransom to get his device decrypts

16. Viruses, Worms, and

Trojans
A computer virus is a program written to
enter your computer and damage/alter your
;les/data and replicate itself.

Worms are malicious programs that make

copies of themselves again and again on
the local drive, network shares, etc.

A Trojan horse is not a virus. It is a

destructive program that looks like a
genuine application. Unlike viruses, Trojan
horses do not replicate themselves but they
can be just as destructive. Trojans open a
backdoor entry to your computer which
gives malicious users/programs access to
your system, allowing con;dential and
personal information to be theft.

17. Data Breach

A data breach is an incident in which
information is accessed without
authorization.

18. Denial of Services (DoS)

attack
A denial of Services (DoS) attack is an
attack intended for denying access to
computer resources without the permission
of the owner or any other person who is in
charge of a computer, computer system or
computer network.

A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS)

attack is an attempt to make an online
service unavailable by overwhelming it with
traic from multiple sources.

19. Website Defacement

Website Defacement is an attack intended
to change the visual appearance of a
website and/ or make it dysfunctional. The
attacker may post indecent, hostile and
obscene images, messages, videos, etc.

20. Cyber-Squatting
Cyber-Squatting is an act of registering,
traicking in or using a domain name with
an intent to pro;t from the goodwill of a
trademark belonging to someone else.

21. Pharming
Pharming is a cyber-attack aiming to
redirect a website’s traic to another, bogus
website.

22. Cryptojacking
Cryptojacking is the unauthorized use of
computing resources to mine
cryptocurrencies.

23. Online Drug Tra`cking

Online Drug Traicking is a crime of selling,
transporting, or illegally importing unlawful
controlled substances, such as heroin,
cocaine, marijuana, or other illegal drugs
using electronic means.

24. Espionage
Espionage is the act or practice of obtaining
data and information without the
permission and knowledge of the owner.

How to 1le a Cybercrime

complaint online in India?
A cybercrime complaint can be ;led using
the National Crime Reporting Portal of
India.

Website link is – https://cybercrime.gov.in/

National Cyber Crime

Reporting Portal of India
This portal is an initiative of the
Government of India to facilitate victims/
complainants to report cybercrime
complaints online.

This portal caters for all types of

cybercrime complaints including
complaints pertaining to

online Child Pornography (CP),

Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM),
sexually explicit content such as
Rape/Gang Rape (CP/RGR) content
and
other cybercrimes such as mobile
crimes, online and social media
crimes, online ;nancial frauds,
ransomware, hacking, cryptocurrency
crimes and online cyber traicking.

The portal also provides an option of

reporting an anonymous complaint about
reporting online Child Pornography (CP) or
sexually explicit content such as
Rape/Gang Rape (RGR) content.

Cybercrime Helpline
Number
The Cyber Crime Helpline Number is
155260.

Indian Computer
Emergency Response
Team (CERT-IN or ICERT)
The Indian Computer Emergency Response
Team (CERT-IN or ICERT) is an oice within
the Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology of the Government of India.

CERT-In is the national nodal agency for

responding to computer security incidents
as and when they occur. CERT-In is
operational since January 2004.

CERT-In has been designated to serve as

the national agency to perform the
following functions in the area of cyber
security:

Collection, analysis and dissemination

of information on cyber incidents.
Forecast and alerts of cyber security
incidents.
Emergency measures for handling
cyber security incidents.
Coordination of cyber incident
response activities.
Issue guidelines, advisories,
vulnerability notes and whitepapers
relating to information security
practices, procedures, prevention,
response and reporting of cyber
incidents.
Such other functions relating to cyber
security may be prescribed.

CERT-IN has overlapping responsibilities

with other agencies such as National
Critical Information Infrastructure
Protection Centre (NCIIPC).

Cyber Laws in India

Information Technology Act 2000 (IT Act
2000) is the main law connected with cyber
security in India.

Indian Penal Code, 1860 is also used to

book criminals connected with
cybercrimes.

India also has a cyber security policy.

Read:
Read:

eSIM: All you need to know

Cyberwarfare

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