Cyber Crime: According to a recent research report on the growing cyber crime in India, cyber criminals often have a good level of education and technical skills. According to a research report by Springer Link, most of the criminals committing cyber crime in India are young and have studied at least up to college.
In such a situation, a question arises that why is the number of educated youth involved in cyber crime increasing?
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Educated youth are committing crimes, understand this with two examples
On June 18, a case of cyber fraud came to light in Bhopal in which a gang was busted which used to cheat people by luring them with cheap iPhones on the social media platform Instagram. In this case, the Cyber Crime Branch has arrested 5 people from Delhi and Niwari in MP. When the police investigated the whole case, it was found that 3 of the arrested accused have studied up to graduation.
At the same time, Uttarakhand Police has solved many such cybercrime cases in which criminals were involved in scams such as email-based lottery fraud, ATM cloning and Ponzi schemes during the COVID-19 pandemic. These cases often involved persons with high technical skills to effectively manage digital devices.
These are just a few recent examples, but according to a research report by Springer Link, a large number of cyber criminals in India are well educated. This is because cyber crimes often require technical proficiency and in-depth understanding of digital systems.
The reason behind educated youth getting involved in this crime
A former UP police officer while talking to ABP said that there are many reasons behind this, the main ones being economic temptation and unemployment. Cybercrime is an easy way to earn quick and large amounts of money. Unemployment is at its peak in India right now, but these youth are educated.
“After completing their studies, they are unable to get any job, due to which they start looking for easy ways to earn money. Most of the youth having knowledge of IT and Computer Science commit cyber crimes using their technical knowledge and skills. These youth have knowledge of cyber security, which they use illegally.”
The former officer said that sometimes lack of morality and social values also attracts the youth of the country towards cyber crime. The youth feel that they will not be caught or punished for petty frauds.
Economic pressure and hardship are also encouraging this crime
The youth of the country have to face economic problems due to unemployment. Educated youth are not getting jobs according to their qualifications, due to which they are getting frustrated and turning to crime.
Also know the condition of unemployment in India
The Center for Monitoring Indian Economy is an organization that publishes reports and statistics on economic matters, according to which 44.3 percent of the youth in the age group of 20-24 years were unemployed between October and December 2023. Not only this, the unemployment rate among people in the age group of 25-29 was more than 14%.
Cyber crime has increased continuously in the last few years
India has witnessed a significant increase in cybercrime cases in the last three years. According to the report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), a total of 50,035 cases of cybercrime were registered in the country in the year 2020, which increased to 52,974 in 2021 and 65,893 in 2022.
India ranks 10th in terms of cyber crime
According to a new research by cyber crime experts from around the world, India is ranked 10th in terms of cyber crime. Moreover, fraud related to advance fee payment is said to be the most common crime in India.
Experts have included 100 countries of the world in this list. Russia has been placed at the top of this list, Ukraine is in second place and China is in third place, while America has been given the fourth place.
This report identifies major hotspots under different categories of cybercrimes, including ransomware, credit card theft and fraud.
Which crimes are included in cyber crime
According to the Cyber Crime Portal of the Government of India, cyber crime means crimes that are committed with the help of computers, internet or other digital devices. This crime includes hacking, phishing, malware and viruses, data theft, cyber bullying and harassment, spamming, dark web activity and ransomware.
Hacking: Unauthorized entry into a computer system or network. Damaging the network, or trying to access sensitive data comes under the category of hacking.
Phishing: Phishing involves attempting to obtain personal information, banking details, and passwords through fraudulent emails or websites.
Malware and Viruses: Malware, viruses, Trojan horses, and other harmful software are used to damage computer systems or steal data.
Cyber fraud: This includes financial fraud using the internet, such as online shopping fraud, extorting money through fake websites
Cyber bullying and harassment: Cyber bullying is any act of threatening, intimidating or harassing another person through any social media platform.
Identity Theft: Stealing a person’s identity and misusing it, such as withdrawing money from bank accounts or making purchases with credit cards.
Spamming : Sending unsolicited, useless email messages, often promoting fraudulent products or services.
Dark web activities: Engaging in illegal activities on the dark web, such as buying and selling drugs, weapons, and other illegal goods.
Which states of India have the most cyber frauds
According to a report by Business Standard, the highest number of cyber fraud cases in India have been registered in Telangana. In the year 2022, 15,297 cyber crime cases were registered in Telangana, which is the highest compared to other states. Karnataka comes in second place. Here 12,556 cases were registered in 2022 while 10,117 cases were registered in Uttar Pradesh. It is clear from these figures that cyber crimes are increasing in the country year after year.
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