As technology has advanced and the internet has become more widely used, cybercrime has grown to be a serious threat to society. The Information Technology Act of 2000 was enacted in an effort to identify, lessen, and eliminate these risks. This article will inform you where to report cybercrime in India before it’s too late and how to register a complaint about it both online and offline.
What is Cybercrime?
In simple terms, cybercrimes in India are the wrongful acts or crimes done with the use of technology. There is no specific definition of cybercrime, but when any illegal or criminal activity happens using a computer as the primary means of operation, it’s a white-collar crime.
The cyber cell departments are accessible in almost every state, ready to deal with cyber complaints in India.
How to register a Cyber Crime Complaint?
In order to handle the reports and investigations of cybercrimes, the crime investigation team has set up numerous cybercrime cells in various Indian cities. The majority of Indian cities currently have a specialized cybercrime unit. You can file a complaint online or offline at any time to the crime investigation department or cyber police. The first and most important step in punishing cybercrime is to file a complaint against it. You must submit a formal complaint to the relevant jurisdiction’s cybercrime unit. You must include your name, contact information, and mailing address in the written complaint.
How to file a Cyber Crime Complaint online?
The online portal where a victim can file a cybercrime complaint is https://cyber crime.gov.in/Accept.aspx, an initiative of Government of India that caters to complaints pertaining to the online Child Pornography (CP), Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) or sexually explicit content such as Rape/Gang Rape (CP/RGR) content and other cybercrimes such as social media crimes, online financial frauds, ransomware, hacking, cryptocurrency crimes, and online cyber trafficking. The portal also provides an option of reporting an anonymous complaint about reporting Child Pornography (CP) or sexually explicit content such as Rape/Gang Rape (RGR) content. One can follow below-mentioned steps to report a cybercrime online –
STEP 1: Go to https://cyber crime.gov.in/Accept.aspx
STEP 2: Click on ‘Report other cyber crimes’ on the menu.
STEP 3: Click on ‘File a Complaint’.
STEP 4: Read the conditions and accept them.
STEP 5: Register your mobile number and fill in your name and State.
STEP 6: Fill in the relevant details about the offence.
What are the documents required to file a Cyber Crime complaint?
Following are the documents required to file a Cyber Crime complaint,
For Email Based Complaints:
*A written complaint explaining the complete incidence and offence,
*Copy of the alleged Email taken from the original receiver. Copy of the forwarded email should be avoided.
*Full Header of the alleged Email.
*Copy of email and header should be in both hard & soft forms (in CD-R only).
For Social Media Based Complaints:
*A copy or screenshot of the alleged profile and/or the content or a screenshot of the URL of the alleged content,
*Hard and soft copies of the alleged content (ensure that the soft copy is provided in a CD-R form).
For Mobile App-Based Complaints:
*A screenshot of the alleged app,
*The location from where it was downloaded,
*The victim’s bank statements in case any transactions were made after/before/during the incident,
*Soft copies of all the above-mentioned documents.
For Business Email Based Complaints:
*A written brief about the offense and the incident,
*Originating name (as in the email or offender) and location,
*Originating bank name and account number (as per the email),
*Recipient’s name (as in bank records), bank account number and bank location (not mandatory),
*Date and amount of transaction as done,
*SWIFT number,
*Additional Information (if available) – including “FFC”- For Further Credit; “FAV” – In Favor Of.
For Data Theft Complaints:
*A copy of the stolen data and brief,
*The copyright certificate of the allegedly stolen data,
*Details of the suspected employee/(s),
The following documents are required in relation to the suspected employee(s):
*Letter of Appointment,
*Non-disclosure Agreement,
*Assigned list of duty and gadgets,
*List of clients that the suspect handles,
*The proof of breach of your copyright data,
*Devices used by the accused during his/her term of service (only if available) with the company.
For Ransomware/Malware Complaints:
*Email id /phone number (or any details) or any other means of communication through which ransom has been demanded,
*If malware was sent in the attachment of the mail, screenshots of the mail with full header of first receiver be provided.
For Internet Banking/Online Transactions/Lottery Scam/Fake Call Related Complaints:
*Bank statement of the concerned bank for the last six months,
*A copy of the SMS/(s) received related to the suspected transactions,
*Copy of the victim’s ID & address proof as per the bank record.
For Net Banking/ATM Complaints:
*A print out of the alleged emails with its complete header as received by the original receiver (forwarded emails should be avoided),
*Victim’s bank statement,
*Details of the suspected transactions,
*Soft copies of all the aforesaid documents.
For Bitcoin Based Complaints:
*A written brief about the offense,
*The address of the bitcoin,
*The amount of bitcoin in question,
*The address from/to whom the purchase/sale of the bitcoins has been done.
What to do if your Cyber Cell refuses to accept your complaint?
You can file a direct submission to the closest Judicial Magistrate indicating that the complaint has not been accepted under any/all conditions if the cyber cell declines to file or accept your cyber complaint.