As the use of the Internet and other computer networks has grown rapidly in recent years, so has the opportunity for electronic crime. Name a form of theft, fraud, or exploitation, and it is probably now being perpetrated or abetted by computer. The computer crime hit parade includes pornography, credit card fraud, industrial espionage, harassment, solicitation of prostitution, conspiracy, malicious mischief, unauthorized access, Intellectual property theft or misuse of information, Theft of service, forgery, Invasion of privacy, Denial of services, Viruses, Sabotage, Embezzlement, Espionage Terrorism etc.

Cybercrime is a new kind of threat. Cybercrime creates jurisdictional problems, because the perpetrator often lives thousands of miles away from the victim. Cyber-criminals can commit crimes against victims who are thousands of miles away. So people today are vulnerable to threats from criminals who would never have had access to them 20 years ago. It is easier for cyber-criminals to hide from the police, because in some cases they never show their face to the police or even to victims. In other ways, cybercrime is a new means to commit crimes police have dealt with for decades.

Precautions to be taken

Cybercrime prevention can be straightforward. When you’re armed with a little technical advice and common sense, you can avoid many attacks. Remember that online criminals are trying to make their money as quickly and easily as possible. The more difficult you make their job, the more likely they are to leave you alone and move on to an easier target. The tips below provide basic information on how you can keep your computer and your identity safe. Make sure your computer is configured securely. Keep in mind that a newly purchased computer may not have the right level of security for you. When you are installing your computer at home, pay attention not just to making your new system function, but also to making it work securely. Choosing the right level of security and privacy depends on the individual using the computer. Oftentimes security and privacy settings can be properly configured without any sort of special expertise by simply using the “Help” feature of your software or reading the vendor’s website. If you are uncomfortable configuring your computer yourself, consult someone you know and trust for assistance or contact the vendor directly.

Shield your personal information

Exercise caution when sharing personal information such as your name, home address, phone number, and email address online. To take advantage of many online services, you will inevitably have to provide personal information in order to handle billing and shipping of purchased goods. Since not divulging any personal information is rarely possible, the following list contains some advice for how to share personal information safely online: Keep an eye out for phony email messages. Messages may be fraudulent if they contain misspellings, poor grammar, odd phrasings, URLs with strange extensions or that consist entirely of numbers, and anything else out of the ordinary. Additionally, phishing messages will often tell you that you have to act quickly to keep your account open, update your security, or urge you to provide information immediately or else something bad will happen. Don’t take the bait.

Don’t respond to email messages that ask for personal information. Legitimate companies will not use email messages to ask for your personal information. When in doubt, contact the company by phone or by typing in the company Web address into your browser. Don’t click on the links in these messages as they make take you to a fraudulent, malicious websites.

Steer clear of fraudulent websites used to steal personal information. When visiting a website, type the URL directly into the Web browser rather than follow a link within an email or instant message. Fraudsters often forge these links to make them look convincing. A shopping, banking, or any other website that requires your sensitive information should begin with “https:” (i.e. https://www.yourbank.com, not http://www.yourbank.com)/. The “s” stands for secure and should appear when you are in an area requesting you to login or provide other sensitive data. Another sign that you have a secure connection is the small lock icon in the bottom of your Web browser (usually the right-hand corner). Pay attention to privacy policies on websites and in software. It is important to understand how an organization might collect and use your personal information before you share it with them.

Education 

Hackers aren’t the only ones who can gain power from information. By educating yourself about the types of scams that exist on the Internet and how to avert them, you are putting yourself one step ahead of the cybercriminals. Since phishing is prevalent, read up on the latest phishing scams and learn how to recognize a phishing attempt. Remember, phishing is when hackers attempt to lure you into revealing personal information by pretending to be a legitimate organization or person. These scams often play off major new stories, so keep informed on the latest news-related scams.

Click with caution 

When you’re checking your email or chatting over messenger, be careful not to click on any links in messages from people you don’t know. The link could take you to a fake website that asks for your private information, such as user names and passwords, or it could download malware onto your computer. Even if the message is from someone you know, be cautious. Some viruses replicate and spread through email, so look for information that indicates that the message is legitimate.

Practice safe surfing 

When navigating the web, you need to take precautions to avoid phony websites that ask for your personal information and pages that contain malware. Use a search engine to help you navigate to the correct web address since it will correct misspellings. That way, you won’t wind up on a fake page at a commonly misspelled address.

Practice safe shopping 

In addition to practicing safe surfing, you also need to be careful where you shop online. Be cautious when shopping at a site that you’ve never visited before and do a little investigation before you enter your payment information. Look for a trustmark, such as McAfee SECURE™, to tell you if a site is safe. And when you’re on a payment page, look for the lock symbol in your browser, indicating that the site uses encryption, or scrambling, to keep your information safe. Click on the icon to make sure that the security certificate pertains to the site you are on. When it comes time to pay, use a credit card instead of a debit card. If the site turns out to be fraudulent your credit card issuer may reimburse you for the charges, but with a debit card your money is gone. Finally, evaluate the site’s security and privacy policies in regards to your personal data.

Use comprehensive security software and keep your system updated because hackers have a wide variety of ways to access your system and information, you need comprehensive security software that can protect you from all angles just make sure that you keep your security software up to date by selecting the automatic update function on your security control panel. And don’t forget to perform regular scans.

You also want to update your operating system (OS) and browser with the latest security patches. If you are a Microsoft Windows user, you can enable automatic updates to keep your OS safe. You may also want to set up your router so it only allows access to people with passwords that are encrypted. Check your owner’s manual for instructions on setting up encryption.

Use strong passwords 

Although it may be easier for you to remember short passwords that reference your birthday, middle name, or pet’s name, these kinds of passwords also make it easy for hackers. Strong passwords can go a long way in helping secure your information, so choose a password that is at least 10 characters long and consists of a combination of letters, numbers and special characters. Also consider changing your password periodically to reduce the likelihood of it being compromised.

Use common sense 

Despite the warnings, cybercrime is increasing, fuelled by common mistakes people make such as responding to spam and downloading attachments from people they don’t know. So, use common sense whenever you’re on the Internet. Never post personal information online or share sensitive information such as your social security number and credit/debit card number. Exercise caution when clicking on any links or downloading any programs.

Be suspicious 

Even if you consider yourself cyber savvy, you still need to keep your guard up for any new tricks and be proactive about your safety. Backup your data regularly in case anything goes wrong, and monitor your accounts and credit reports to make sure that a hacker has not stolen your information or identity.

Although protecting yourself does take some effort, remember that there are a lot of resources and tools to help you. And by adopting a few precautions and best practices, you can help keep cybercrime from growing.

IN CASE OF ARREST PLEASE ENSURE THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES

The Hon’ble Supreme Court, in D.K. Basu Vs State of West Bengal, has laid down specific guidelines required to be followed while making arrests.

THE HON’BLE SUPREME COURT GUIDELINES ON ARREST 
The principles laid down by the Hon’ble Supreme Court are given hereunder:

(i) The police personnel carrying out the arrest and handling the interrogation of the arrestee should bear accurate, visible and clear identification and name tags with their designations. The particulars of all such police personnel who handle interrogation of the arrestee should bear accurate, visible and clear identification and name tags with their designation. The particular of all such personnel who handle interrogation of the arrestee must be recorded in a register.

(ii) That the police officer carrying out the arrest shall prepare a memo of arrest at the time of arrest and such memo shall be attested by at least one witness, who may be either a member of the family of the arrestee or a respectable person of the locality from where the arrest is made. It shall also be counter signed by the arrestee and shall contain the time and date of arrest.

(iii) A person who has been arrested or detained and is being held in custody in a police station or interrogation centre or other lock up, shall be entitled to have one friend or relative or other person known to him or having interest in his welfare being informed, as soon as practicable, that he has been arrested and is being detained at the particular place, unless the attesting witness of the memo of arrest is himself such a friend or a relative of the arrestee.

(iv) The time, place of arrest and venue of custody of an arrestee must be notified by the police where the next friend or relative of the arrestee lives outside the district or town through the Legal Aids Organization in the District and the police station of the area concerned telegraphically within a period of 8 to 12 hours after the arrest.

(v) The person arrested must be made aware of his right to have someone informed of his arrest or detention as soon as he is put under arrest or is detained.

(vi) An entry must be made in the diary at the place of detention regarding the arrest of the person which shall also disclosed the name of the next friend of the person who has been informed of the arrest and the names land particulars of the police officials in whose custody the arrestee is.

(vii) The arrestee should, where he so request, be also examines at the time of his arrest and major and minor injuries, if any present on his /her body, must be recorded at that time. The Inspector Memo’ must be signed both by the arrestee and the police officer effecting the arrest and its copy provided to the arrestee.

(viii) The arrestee should be subjected to medical examination by the trained doctor every 48 hours during his detention In custody by a doctor on the panel of approved doctor appointed by Director, Health Services of the concerned State or Union Terri­ tory, Director, Health Services should prepare such a panel for all Tehsils and Districts as well.

(ix) Copies of all the documents including the memo of arrest, referred to above, should be sent to the Magistrate for his record.

(x) The arrestee may be permitted to meet his lawyer during interrogation, though not throughout the interrogation.

(xi) A police control room should be provided at all district and State headquarters where information regarding the arrest and the place of custody of the arrestee shall be communicated by the officer causing the arrest, within 12 hours of effecting the arrest and at the police control room it should be displayed on a conspicuous notice board.

ATM Theft: Some tips to Protect yourself from.

Cyber Crime is on the rise in Nagaland. With crimes related to social networking, online lottery, online job, ATM Fraud etc. being most prevalent ,which are ever getting  more and more complicated, Police cannot fight these crimes need help and cooperation from the public.
In a recent cyber crime-ATM Fraud, that happened in Nagaland ,One Mr. X received calls from some people posing as SBI representatives. The victim was asked to provide  his personal and confidential details such as his account number, ATM card number, the secret PIN etc.so that his account could be updated, to which he readily obliged. Using his ATM details, online transactions worth  Rs. 80,000/-were done by these fraudsters and this victim had absolutely no knowledge until he was informed by his bank about the numerous online transactions.

The above case is just one of the many. Therefore the public need to be vigilant and aware of the precautions so that they do not become victims of such crimes. Below are some of the common ATM theft scams and the Tips to help protect yourself from such thefts:-

Phishing

Remember that Phishing is a fraudulent attempt, usually made through email, phone calls, SMS etc seeking your personal and confidential information. Representing your bank, a scammer can send you an email with a notice on it saying something about incomplete account information or that you need to update your account information. You click on the link and follow the directions but you’re not at your bank, you’re at a site designed to look like your bank by thieves. They collect your information and are free to replicate your ATM card or simply withdraw your money from your account via online banking.
Or you may receive a call or an SMS saying it’s from your bank, that you need to update your account information since its incomplete. They may ask for your card number /secret PIN or some other personal and confidential details. Any such e-mail/SMS or phone call is an attempt to fraudulently withdraw money from your account through Internet Banking. Never respond to such email/SMS or phone call.

The Lebanese Loop

Many thieves are using external devices to confiscate your card. In this scam, a blocking device (which can be as simple as some film glued to trap ATM cards), is inserted into the card slot of the ATM machine. Unwittingly, you place your card into the machine and enter your PIN. All the while, someone nearby may be watching you enter your PIN number.

A very common reaction is to go into the bank to report your confiscated card. Now the thieves jump into action. They remove the blocking device, along with your trapped ATM card and withdraw money from your account.

The way the scammers use the Lebanese Loop can vary. Often, once your ATM card is trapped, a “Good Samaritan” will show up and offer advice on how to get your card back. They may suggest that you enter your PIN number a couple of times.
They might also offer to hold the cancel button while you enter your PIN. What they’re really doing is memorizing your PIN number. They’re certainly not Samaritans at all!

 Card Skimming

Skimmers are devices added to ATM machines to capture your card’s information, including your account number, balance, and PIN number. These devices often mounted alongside a machine and labeled ‘card cleaners,’ are difficult to notice unless you’re looking for them.
You may also find card skimmers mounted beside the normal ATM card slot with a sign that says, “slide card here first.” Sometimes they are even mounted right on top of where you would normally enter your card. Skimmers can actually collect and store up to 200 ATM cards before they need to be removed by thieves.

Shoulder Surfing, Fake PIN Pads, and Even Fake Machines

Another way to glean your ATM PIN number is for thieves to mount a wireless video camera inside the ATM area. It can look as harmless as a brochure holder. Once the scammers have your number, magnetic strips are easy to make and thieves are able to easily reproduce ATM cards.
In addition to using cameras to collect PIN numbers, thieves have designed fake PIN pads that they place on top of the original ATM PIN pad. Unfortunately, with fake PIN pads, your ATM transaction will proceed normally and you won’t know a scammer has stolen anything until it’s too late.

Thieves have also taken to occasionally putting up fake ATM machines in and around shopping centers and other public locations. Upon placing your card into the card reader, these machines collect your ATM PIN and account information. They do not dispense cash. Rather, a screen comes up that says that the machine is out of money or out of order.

Cash Trapping.

Similar to the Lebanese Loop where a thin sleeve traps your card, this time your cash is trapped by a sleeve or device slipped inside the cash dispenser. Your transaction will operate normally, but you won’t receive the cash you’ve withdrawn.
Chances are you’ll either walk or drive away assuming the machine is out of order or you’ll go inside the bank and report the incident. Either way, you have left the machine and the thieves can walk up, remove the device, and your cash.

Some Tips to Help You Protect Yourself From ATM Theft:

• Get in the habit of using the same ATM machine for your transactions. Become familiar with it and be able to recognize changes to the machine.
• Use ATM machines inside banks rather than on the street (where they’re easier for thieves to access).
• If you’re visiting an unfamiliar ATM machine that is not inside a bank, examine it carefully for devices. Card or cash trapping devices need to be glued or taped to the card reader or cash dispenser. Look for ‘extra’ cameras beyond the basic and generally obvious ATM security camera.
• Never rely on the help of strangers to retrieve a confiscated card.
• Never use an ATM machine when other people are lingering. Don’t allow others inside the ATM booth when you are using your ATM card.
• Report confiscated cards immediately. If you can, don’t leave the machine. Instead call the bank from the ATM where your card was taken using a cell phone.
• Don’t use ATM machines with extra signage or warnings posted on the machine.
• Never follow a link in a supposed bank email notice. If you are wondering if your bank has really contacted you via email, then close the email and directly type your bank’s website address into your browser. Visit your account and look for update notices directly on your account or bank’s website. The email is almost always a phishing scam.
• Never respond to calls or SMS purported to be from your Bank because your Bank or any of its representative never sends you email/SMS or calls you over phone to get your personal information, password or one time SMS (high security) password Bank .
• Register/Update your mobile number with the Bank so that you receive transaction notifications from your Bank each time you use your ATM Card.

Caution against Bank fraud

Nagaland Police appeals to the public to be vigilant against ‘Lottery Scams’ as we are already investigating many of such cases. A “Lottery Scam” is a type of advance- fee fraud which begins with an unexpected email notification, phone call or Text message (SMS) saying that “ You have won” large sum of money. It is very difficult to recover the money which you have already paid in order to claim the prize. It is to be noted mandatorily that –

1. Unless someone buys a ticket, one cannot win a lottery prize.
2. All genuine Lotteries will subtract any fees, tax, bank charges, courier charges etc from the “Prize”. No advance fee is ever asked for or paid.

The public is thus urged not to respond in any way to claim/receive such prizes. Further, everyone is requested to share and disseminate such information in any platform in the interest of the general public. For any assistance/information, please email us at Nagaland Police16@gmail.com or crimebranchphqkma@gmail.com. Also visit our FB page “CID Nagaland” for more info.