HOW TO REGISTER A CYBERCRIME COMPLAINT ONLINE?

Since the early 2000s, the internet is something that has grown unprecedented all over the world. The introduction of 4G and Digital India have made sure that the internet should reach the masses. However, the growth has not been limited to usage and benefits but has extended to the exploitation of the internet too.

Activities like Hacking, Cyberstalking, Pornography, Online Harassment, Morphing, Bullying, and Defaming people online have become very common and frequent in the last two decades. To tackle all these cybercrimes, our legislation has introduced the Information Technology Act, 2000, in which punishment regarding all online offenses is given. Recently, this act has been amended to the Information Technology Act, 2008. This article will guide you through the process of registration of a cybercrime complaint in detail.    

What is Cyber Crime?

Theoretically, we do not have any static definition of cybercrime in the whole act, but it refers to all the wrongful activities or crimes done with an intention to harm the other with internet technology as a primary source of operation. Our government has set up various cybercrime cells and departments in various parts of India to regulate these crimes. They are accessible in every state and deal with multiple cases of cyber crimes in India. Every year a new kind of cybercrime is created and propagated on the internet, but some of the prevalent ones are:-

• Hacking - As we all know, it is the most common type of cybercrime existing on the internet. It seeks to compromise digital devices like computers, laptops, phones, and even entire networks for illicit financial gains. It provides the hacker access to the sensitive and personal information of a person.

• Online Theft - With internet banking, online theft has also increased rapidly. It has become easier for criminals to extort money from our accounts, given our bank details are on the internet.

• Cyber Stalking - Post Hacking is the most heinous crime done on the internet, and it is just like offline stalking done majorly against women.  

• Cyber Trolling - With the increased usage of social media, every second person is facing cyber trolling on the internet. With the internet in hand, people have started exploiting it against others.  

How to register a cybercrime complaint online?

With the increasing number of cybercrimes, the crime investigation bureau has established many cybercrime cells in different parts of India. They manage the reporting and investigations of all cybercrimes. Currently, if any cybercrime is committed against you, you can file a complaint to the cyber police or crime investigation department either online or offline. It is always advisable to file a report against cybercrime, which discourages all the frivolous activities prevailing on the internet. 

The government of India has launched an online portal where all the complaints pertaining to sextortion, Child Pornography, Child Sexual Abuse Material, or sexually explicit content such as Rape or Gang-Rape or any kind of sexual harassment majorly against women can be reported. Financial frauds like ransomware, cryptocurrency crimes, and online cyber trafficking can also be reported on these portals. Let’s discuss in detail how can one file an online complaint about cybercrime in India:-

Step 1: Go to http://cyber crime.gov.in/Accept.aspx.

Step 2: There will be a tab on the menu; clicking on that, select the option of ‘Report other cybercrimes.’

Step 3: Click on ‘File a Complaint.

Step 4: Post accepting the conditions on the website, register your mobile number and fill in your name and state. 

Step 5: Fill in the required details regarding the offense and submit it.

You have to provide all the necessary details like name, mailing address, telephone number, and an application letter addressing the head of the investigation cell and attach related documents as an attachment. It is not always necessary to reveal your identity; one can file the report anonymously also.

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Documents required for a cybercrime complaint

Here is the list of the documents that are required to file a Cyber Crime Complaint. 

Emails Based

• A written complaint stating the whole incident and offense.

• Copy of the original email.

• Full header of the email.

• Both the above documents should be in both Hard and Soft forms (CD-R only)

Net Banking/ATM based

• Victim's bank statement

• Print out of the alleged emails

• Details of the suspected transactions

•Soft copies of all the above-stated documents. 

Social Media Based

• Copy or screenshot of the alleged profile and the URL of the alleged content

• Hard and Soft copies of the alleged content.

Data Theft Based

• Details of the stolen data

• Copyright certificate of the allegedly stolen data

• Details of the accused or employee

• Supporting documents of the employee like Letter of Appointment, NDA, Assigned List of duty and gadgets, and list of clients that the suspect handles. 

• Any proof of breach of your copyright data.

Tips to Avoid Cyber Crime

• Never share your passwords or OTPs with an unknown person.

• Do not give your personal information like name, address, or phone number to any stranger.

• Sharing of private pictures should be strictly avoided.

• Do not respond to emails that appear to be suspicious.

• You should avoid revealing your location on social media sites.

• If you notice any suspicious activity on your account, you should immediately report it to the concerned authority. 

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Author: Papiha Ghoshal