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Archives for January 4, 2025

Beware of online sextortion: boys and girls

online sextortion

Online Sextortion occurs when a fraudster threatens to circulate your private and sensitive material online if you do not provide images of a sexual nature, sexual favors, or money. The perpetrator may also threaten to harm your friends or relatives by using information they have obtained from electronic devices unless you comply with their demands. Sextortion is a form of Online Sextortion abuse, wherein the cybercriminal makes use of various channels like instant messaging apps, SMS, online dating apps, Online Sextortion media platforms, porn sites, etc., to lure the users into intimate video/audio chats and makes them pose nude or obtains revealing pictures from them. The fraudsters later make use of this material to harass, embarrass, threaten, exploit, and blackmail the victims. Dangers Abuse and Exploitation Harassment Blackmail Threats of public humiliation Mental distress Modus Operandi The fraudsters try to lure the users into sharing intimate content in different ways posting messages for video/audio chat using fake accounts/profiles creating pages/ad campaigns The users get victimized when they pay for such services and pose nude or in a compromising position in video calls accepts or sends friend requests to the fake account/profile and is involved in intimate interaction posing nude in video chats, sending revealing pictures, etc., The fraudster records video/ takes screenshots/ takes pictures/makes use of revealing pictures/morphs the pictures sent The fraudster starts blackmailing the victim leading to sextortion. The users of porn sites may also fall prey to sextortion when their chats/video calls on porn sites are used for blackmail by fraudsters. Channels used for trapping the victims into sextortion The fraudsters resort to sextortion following the modus operandi given above using various channels like – Messaging apps Dating apps Online Sextortion media platforms Porn sites etc., Warning signs indicate attempts of sextortion by cybercriminals Repeated untoward messages/video calls from unknown number/s Repeated friend requests from an unknown person Repeated requests for private intimate pictures, video chats, photos Manipulating or redirecting the conversation toward intimate topics Rush through the things and try to develop intimacy Warning signs that may indicate victimization Signs of fear, nervousness, anxiety, depression Isolating self and being very reactive & emotional Feeling desperate and frustrated Having suicidal thoughts and self-harming behavior. Safety tips to protect yourself against online sextortion Never share any compromising images, posts, or videos of yourself with anyone, no matter who they are Remember that the internet never forgets or forgives. If you have shared something once, it will remain present on the Net forever, in one form or the other. Never accept or request friendship from unknown people on social media platforms. Enable privacy and security features on your Online Sextortion media accounts and instant messaging apps. Use the “Report User” option on Online Sextortion media platforms to report any such Do not share your personal/private pictures publicly. Turn off your electronic devices and web cameras when you are not using them. Use two-factor authentication with strong passwords and different passwords for different social media accounts. During an Online Sextortion interaction or chat, if the person on the other side is trying to rush through things and develop intimacy, then it is cause for alarm. Never allow anyone, however close to capture any private part or intimate activity with any device. Such data can be misused at a later stage. Do not accept video calls or open attachments from people you do not know. Save the evidence and the screenshots for referring to the incident later. Do not suffer in silence, know that you are not alone, and reach out and seek help from trusted family and friends. File a complaint against sextortion Online Sextortion or at your nearest cybercrime cell. Remember that you can also anonymously file an Online Sextortion complaint against such an offense on the national cybercrime reporting portal cybercrime.gov.in. Avoid clicking intimate/nude/semi-nude photos/videos on your phone, which if leaked could cause embarrassment. Several rouge mobile apps could access your gallery/storage and can be used to blackmail you. Don’t hesitate to file a complaint or contact the police due to shame, embarrassment, and self-blame. Know what the Law Says about this offense? It is a punishable offense by law and attracts sections 354 (D), 506 / 507, 509 IPC, and 384 IPC, and Sec.67 of the IT Act is also applicable. Offenders in such crimes usually thrive on the victim’s silence and lack of clarity in the law. Hence, everyone needs to be aware of the codes and sections that will help them in such cases. Section 108(1)(i)(a) of the Criminal Procedure Code empowers the victim to call the magistrate of her locality and inform him/her about the person whom she believes could circulate any obscene matter. The magistrate has the power to detain such person(s) and can order him to sign a bond to stop him from circulating the material. This might deter the accused. This is a quick remedial section because the victim can complain to the magistrate without any direct evidence against the accused. Section 292 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) incriminates any person who distributes or threatens to disperse any intimate and compromising images of someone through any electronic means, including apps and other social media. If a picture of the woman is clicked obscenely without her knowledge and is distributed, a voyeurism case under Section 354C of the IPC can also be filed along with the aid of other relevant sections from the Information Technology Act.

Catfisher Nabbed in Delhi: Cyber Crime Unveiled in Online Dating Case

cyber crime

A Delhi University student fell victim to a Cyber Crime when a supposed U.S.-based model. she met on a dating app conned her into sharing explicit content, which he later used for extortion. Delhi police have arrested the 23-year-old accused, revealing a shocking online scam operation. A college student from Delhi University was allegedly targeted by a cybercriminal posing as a U.S.-based freelancer model on an online dating platform. The Cyber Crime victim, who met the suspect on Bumble, was misled into sharing private photos and videos, which the accused threatened to leak unless paid, according to police reports. The scam came to light when the victim, pressured by continuous extortion threats, alerted her family and subsequently lodged a complaint with the PS Cyber Crime West police department. Authorities swiftly launched an investigation, identifying the perpetrator as Tushar Bisht, a 23-year-old resident of Delhi. During his arrest in Shakarpur, East Delhi, Bisht confessed to using a virtual international mobile number to contact multiple women on platforms like Bumble and Snapchat. Presenting himself with fake credentials and profiles, he extorted several victims by threatening to release their private content unless they paid him. Detailed interrogation revealed Bishtr’s connection with numerous victims, highlighting the severity of his deceit. Originally motivated by amusement, his actions escalated to a systematic extortion scheme. The police have emphasized the importance of online safety and awareness, particularly for young women engaging in digital communications. This arrest highlights the increasing threat of online scams and underscores the need for vigilance on digital platforms, as authorities continue to combat cybercrime efforts.

Rajasthan Police launch ‘Operation Cyber Shield’ to combat cyber crimes

Rajasthan Police

Rajasthan Police has launched Operation Cyber Shield to tackle cybercrime, focusing on resolving complaints, identifying hotspots, blocking suspicious SIMs, and raising public awareness. Jaipur: In a bid to curb the escalating graph of cyber crimes and organized financial fraud in Rajasthan Police , the Cyber Crime Branch of Rajasthan Police has initiated a month-long special campaign named ‘Operation Cyber Shield’. The campaign, spearheaded under the direction of Director General of Police (DGP) Utkal Ranjan Sahu, aims to crack down on cyber criminals, resolve pending cyber cases, and create public awareness about cyber security. The operation will run throughout January, a senior police official said. “The Rajasthan government and Rajasthan Police are committed to preventing cyber crimes,” said DG (Cyber Crime) Hemant Priyadarshi. “We appeal to citizens to report any suspicious cyber activities to the local police, the cyber security helpline 1930, or the cybercrime portal at National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal” he added. Citizens can also contact the police at 0141-2741322 to report incidents, the senior official added. Seven Strategies Focus Areas The campaign will tackle cybercrime through seven key focus areas: Resolving Cyber Complaints: All complaints reported through the cybercrime portal and helpline 1930 will be addressed. Blocking Suspicious SIMs and IMEIs: Identifying and deactivating suspicious SM cards and IMEI numbers linked to fraudulent activities. Targeting Crime Hotspots: Identifying areas prone to cybercrime and taking preventive action. Arresting Offenders: Pursuing wanted criminals, standing warrants, and proclaimed offenders in cyber-related cases. Recovering Mobile Devices: Focus on recovering and returning lost or stolen mobile handsets to their rightful owners. Public Awareness: Conducting widespread awareness campaigns to educate citizens about cyber crimes and preventive measures. Building a Cyber Criminal Database: Creating a comprehensive database of cyber criminals across Rajasthan for better tracking and prevention. “We have issued detailed guidelines to senior officers across all police ranges and districts through video conferencing to ensure the success of this campaign,” said Priyadarshi.

10 the Top News Stories and Cybersecurity of 2024

Cybersecurity

The ransomware juggernaut rolled inexorably in 2024, yet again, leaving more devastated Cybersecurity in its wake. This year, the UK’s NHS found itself at the receiving end of some particularly nasty attacks, but there were other high-profile victims as well. Meanwhile, state-backed cyber intrusions from China and Russia continued apace, driven by global geopolitical uncertainty. Many long-running Cybersecurity espionage campaigns were exposed. But if 2024 proved one thing only, it was that shining a light on the cyber underworld is working. The British are coming for the bad guys, as new attributions from the National Cybersecurity Centre (NCSC), takedowns led by the National Crime Agency (NCA), and proposed legislation highlighting ransomware threats to critical sectors is proving. If 2024 is remembered for anything in the cyber community, it may just be the year in which the good guys took the gloves off and fought back properly. Here are Computer Weekly’s Top 10 Cyber Crime stories of 2024. British Library ransomware attack could cost up to £7m The effects of the British Library ransomware attack at the end of 2023 continued to be felt into 2024 as the venerable institution continued to struggle to bring its crippled systems back online. In January 2024, it emerged that the scale of the ransomware attack was so immense and its effects so devastating, that it could end up costing the British Library up to £7m, dwarfing the £650,000 ransom demand. Later in the year, in a remarkable display of transparency, the British Library’s leadership published a detailed breakdown of their experience at the hands of the Rhysida ransomware crew, to help others learn and understand. SolarWinds hackers attack Microsoft in apparent recon mission Also in January, Cosy Bear, the Russia-backed hacking outfit behind the SolarWinds Sunburst incident, was back in action, breaking into Microsoft’s systems with a brute force, password spraying attack and from there accessing corporate accounts belonging to leadership and Cybersecurity employees. Microsoft is one of some suppliers that finds itself at the receiving end of such intrusions, thanks in part to its global reach and scale, and its in-depth relationships with Western governments, and has faced tough questions over its Cybersecurity posture in recent years as a result. Lock Bit locked out in NCA-led takedown One of the biggest stories of the year unfolded dramatically on a dull February day when the infamous Lock Bit ransomware gang was taken down and its infrastructure hacked and compromised in Operation Cronos, led by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA). In the immediate aftermath of the takedown, Computer Weekly took the temperature of the Cybersecurity community, finding upbeat sentiment, but also tempered by the knowledge that one swallow does not make a summer. Throughout the year, the NCA has been sharing a trove of information it gathered during the exercise, as well as taking time to mock and troll Lock Bit’s leader since named as Dmitry Khoroshev, who at one time boasted of his luxury lifestyle as he toyed with law enforcement. Mandiant formally pins Sandworm cyber-attacks on APT44 group In April, threat intel leaders Mandiant formally “upgraded” the malicious activity cluster known as Sandworm to a full-blown, standalone advanced persistent threat (APT) actor to be tracked as APT44 – other companies have different taxonomies, Mandiant’s is alphanumeric. APT44 is run out of Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) within Unit 74455 of the Main Centre for Special Technologies (GTsST) and is described as one of the most brazen threat actors around. Although it confines its activities to those in service of the Russian state rather than financially motivated criminality, the links between cybercrime and cyber espionage continued to blur during 2024, with some nation-state APTs even acting as initial access brokers (IABs) for ransomware gangs. NHS services at major London hospitals disrupted by cyber attack In early June, a major cyber-attack on Synovia, a pathology lab services provider that works with Guys and St Thomas’ and King’s College hospitals in London, as well as other NHS sites in the nation’s capital, was laid low by a Qulin ransomware attack. This intrusion resulted in a major incident being declared in the NHS, with patient appointments and surgeries cancelled, and blood supplies running dangerously low. The ramifications of this truly callous cyber-attack are still being felt six months on. UK Cyber Bill teases mandatory ransomware reporting All eyes were on Westminster in July for the first King’s Speech held under a Labour government in over a decade , and for the Cybersecurity community, there was plenty to pick over as Keir Starmer’s administration proposed implementing compulsory cyber incident reporting – including ransomware – for operators of critical national infrastructure (CNI), in a new Cybersecurity and Resilience Bill. According to the government for Cybersecurity , the law will expand the remit of existing regulation give regulators a more solid footing when it comes to protecting digital services and supply chains, and improve reporting requirements to help build a better picture of Cybersecurity . The Bill will likely be introduced to Parliament in 2025. NCSC and allies call out Russia’s Unit 29155 over cyber-warfare In September, the UK and its Five Eyes allies joined forces with the European Union (EU) and Ukrainian cyber authorities to highlight a dastardly campaign of cyber espionage conducted by Unit 29155, another Russian APT. Unit 29155 targets victims to collect information for espionage purposes, sabotages websites and daily operational capabilities and tries to cause reputational damages by selectively leaking important data. It has conducted thousands of exercises across NATO and the EU with a notable focus on CNI, government, financial services, transport, energy, and healthcare. It is also particularly notable for its involvement in the Whisper Gate campaign of destructive malware attacks against Cybersecurity to Ukraine in advance of the 2022 invasion. Money transfer firm MoneyGram rushes to contain cyber attack US-based financial services and money transfer outfit MoneyGram was another high-profile cyber attack victim to emerge in 2024, with its systems taken down in an apparent ransomware attack in September 2024.