Social Media Crimes in India and How to Prevent it?

Social media have been in the limelight for more than a decade and we have encountered a rapid growth in social media crimes in India, given its popularity cybercriminals are using these platforms  to commit various types of social media crimes to exploit people .

Undoubtedly, it has become a part of our lives but we have to be careful while using different social media platforms. To learn more, attentively read this article on “Social Media Crimes in India” and how such scams can be prevented.

Let’s start with discussing common ways through which fraudsters execute their ill motive.

Common Types of Social Media Crimes

Cybercriminals do social media scams in a variety of ways. Let’s understand the following types: 

• Online Threats, Stalking, Cyberbullying: Using the internet and other technological resources, the attacker continuously troubles the victim. Additionally, fraudsters use online communication platforms like e-mail, social networking sites, messengers, etc. to exploit, threaten, shame, and humiliate their victims. Cyber extortion is the cybercrime in which con artists send and receive obscene objectionable sexually explicit text, photos, or videos via technology, particularly mobile phones.
• Hacking and Fraud: It is one of the types of Social media crimes in India. Despite the fact that accessing a friend’s social media account and sharing a humiliating photo could be funny among friends but in reality it is legally a severe felony. According to this, the owner of the impersonation account has the intention to deceive the users.
• Online Quizzes: Online tests claiming to identify your personality type, reveal the celebrities that you resemble, or provide you with an unbelievable prize that may have hidden dangers beyond your expectations. They often contain terms and conditions that permit the sale of the information that you enter to third parties. It implies that the app developer can learn much about you through your profile, friends, and IP address. Try to avoid participating in any social media quizzes.
• Honey Trap : Fraudsters are disguised in anonymous user identities, people may accept friend requests from strangers. These types of crimes related to social media prey on victims’ emotions to make them unknowingly divulge private or company information or give money to cybercriminals who create a vulnerable situation for victims as they are blackmailed for their private photos that the culprit snaps during a pseudo romantic video call. A recent example popped up in the news where a highly qualified DRDO (Defence Research Development Organisation) scientist was honey trapped and blackmailed for sharing inputs.
• Phishing: These malicious links may be included in direct messages, emails, articles, or organic posts. If you click on them, they may infect your device with malware or take you to websites that log you into your account.
• Charity: Examples of social media crimes in India are huge. In these social media related crimes people may occasionally be approached and promised investments with high returns. After agreeing to the investment schemes, it’s not uncommon to encounter silence and lose track of the dishonest broker. Also, the scammers can create a” fake emergency relief fund portals” and can raise money which serves to fund various anti national activities.
• Investment: Influencers rely significantly on brand relationships, and sincere alliances may be profitable for both parties. However, there will be some phishing links or bogus brand bargains amid the real offerings, leaving them susceptible to criminality.
• Online Job Fraud: This particular scam includes attracting a job seeker with the promise of Jobs, high pay, or additional income before defrauding them and stealing their money. Some social media crime cases in india reflected the promises of jobs or a role offer in a film/serial after the payment of a considerable amount on their websites. These websites offer one way interviews in such a way that the victim is usually convinced in the subject of its authenticity. The victim is left alone, and the website is shattered just after the fraud.
• Spam and Obscene Content: The offenders are using the easiest way available to spread spam popularity through Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp. The same platforms are also being used to publish/ transmit obscene material. 
• Buying Illegal Things: Through Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp, the offenders are spreading spam popularity in the simplest possible way. The same platforms also post and transport pornographic content. 
• Fake Profiles: People often are not aware and they keep on wondering “What is a Social Media Crime?” is it wrong to create a fake profile for someone. They usually end up publishing offensive content there, including modifying photographs purposely or without purpose.  To lessen our chances of becoming victims ourselves, we might take the following precautionary measures:
  • Never divulge your social media login credentials.
  • Never accept a friend request from a person you don’t know. 
  • Do not click on any links that seem dubious.

Red Flags that Will Help You to Find Out the Scam

Some warnings that you need to know:

1. Posts and advertisements with incredibly low pricing on well-known name-brand products or with free samples of fantastic health and beauty products. An offer that looks good to be true is always a fraud.  
2. In crimes related to social media in India, a message that redirects you to another website where you may view a scandalous video, or fake quiz asking for your personal details, claim you to win a gift card or a prize then stay alert.
3. Posts and direct messages that solicit donations, notably in the form of gift cards, cryptocurrencies, or wire transfers. These are the main ways through which con artists may trick you.
4. Fraudsters insist you to invest or pay some amount to them.
5. Create a sense of urgency.

How to Defend Yourself from Social Media Crimes in India?

Following are the safety tips for you that will definitely help you to avoid it.

1. Verify and keep your social media account’s privacy settings updated. Use the tools to limit who can see your posts, turn off targeted advertising, and stop applications from accessing your personal data.
2. Do not use the same password for every social media account. Instead, use two-factor authentication to make sure that only you can access an account
3. Be cautious of strangers seeking intimate connections on social media. Stop communication if they ask for money.
4. Refrain from making an online investment to strangers.
5. Avoid sharing personal or financial info with strangers; hackers can use it for identity theft. Don’t post private details like your address or phone number on social media.
6. Avoid posting private information on social media, such as your home address or phone number.
7. To prevent social media crimes in India. Never download applications from social media links unless you actually need them without its verification.
8. Don’t apply for jobs posted on social media right away; they might steal your money and information. Enable two-factor authentication on all your social media accounts. Verify charities before donating. Block any suspicious accounts
9. Never apply immediately for the jobs that was offered to you on social media because it can steal your money and information.
10. Turn on the two-factor authentication method on your every social media account. 
11. Without doing a proper verification don’t pay any amount to the charity.
12. Block all the accounts which look suspicious. 
13. If you become a victim of these scams, always remember to collect all the evidence that you have like screenshots of chats, fraudsters user name, etc and file a complaint against that scam on the “cybercrime.gov.in”.

Conclusion 

Hope the above information on social media crimes in India is quite useful to you. Now you just have to follow the precautions mentioned in this blog and refrain yourself from becoming the next victim. For further professional guidance, stay connected with cyber expert Anuraag Singh.