New Delhi: Emotions and psychology play a big role in cybercrimes. Criminals do a lot of social engineering. The first-ever cybercrime in India was a lottery scam. There are three reasons people fall for cyber crimes — greed, curiosity and fear. Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar and former DRDO scientist OP Manocha shared these nuggets on cybercrime as they talked about their book, ‘Cyber Encounters’, which highlights the dark world of cybercrime and chronicles their experiences in dealing with cybercrime in 12 thrilling episodes. 


In an exclusive interview to ABP Live, the authors explained how unsuspecting users stand a chance to fall victim to bad actors on the world wide web. From the five-second rule of online safety to simple precautions that one can take to protect themselves and their devices, Kumar and Manocha shared some precious pieces of advice. 


Edited excerpts from the interview: 


Over the years, which instance of cybercrime remained stuck in your mind for its unique nature?


Manocha: In each incident, it was hard to believe how so much money was spent. But one particular instance, which took place during the covid lockdown, took the cake. 


A widow’s daughter asked for a puppy. She searched online and got stuck on a fake website. The ad told her she will get the puppy for Rs 15,000. Gingerly, they kept extracting money from the lady, stringing her along. 


First, with a refundable security deposit of Rs 1 lakh, then Rs 2 lakh for cargo transport. 


Then, they told her the puppy is stuck in customs, and so after its supposed retrieval they charged her to embed a tracking chip in his neck. 


She was so attached to her daughter that she was ready to do anything to make her happy. They kept showing her videos and pictures to pacify her and keep her fooled. The lady was already going through a rough patch — a tragedy occurred in her home, she wanted to make her daughter happy, and people were dying of covid. She kept on doing what they said. 


Emotions and psychology play a big role in cybercrimes. She was already emotionally weak and broken. Criminals do a lot of social engineering — they study your social media profiles and then psychoanalyse. 


The police faced tough challenges trying to catch these criminals. Many times, we’d have the criminal nearly in our [digital] grasp but they’d still manage to escape. It’s not like a physical chase with footprints to track.  


We’ve had to counsel and convince victims that they haven’t won the lottery. We tend to go into a mental space which we can’t come back from.


Could you tell us about the first cybercrime in India?


Kumar: The first-ever cybercrime in India was a lottery scam. You would receive an email from the British government saying you’ve won ‘X’ amount. But several people didn't bother to ask, “If I didn't buy lottery tickets, how did I win?”


Then came card cloning. Since money has now become plastic, we pay through credit cards. At these places of business, it can easily be cloned behind the counter. 


These two crimes, to begin with, were called the “Nigerian Crimes”. It started in Africa but now Indian cities like Jamtara and similar places are way ahead of them.


Your book has a foreword by Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan. What was the thought process behind that?


Kumar: We want to make people aware of cybercrimes and how to safeguard themselves from them. Mr Bachchan’s following will definitely help us reach a larger audience. He has also been a victim of cybercrime himself!


In 2019, hours after Mr Bachchan's Twitter account was hacked, all hell broke loose. Our cybercrime agencies spotted chatter on the dark Web, amongst hackers, claiming victory. The hackers went on to share his personal details and replaced his profile picture with that of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.


How do the agencies deal with artificial intelligence (AI)-related crimes?


Kumar: Technology is constantly evolving. First, we had fake news, and now we have deep fakes. It is hard to discern what is fake and real but the police force is constantly being trained. It will take time for people who have only completed their education till 10th or 12th grade.


Online crimes have a larger volume, they can be committed faster and planned even faster. It is hard to locate a criminal sitting miles away. These are the challenges that we face. Thus, we need help from you — all you need to do is be aware. Our book helps you do just that.


How can users prevent themselves from falling victims to cybercrimes?


Manocha: Cybercriminals attack human emotions. We must tackle them. 


There are three reasons we fall for cyber crimes:


Greed. Since, the need can be met, but greed cannot.


Curiosity. A person often wonders, “Where will clicking on a link lead me to?”, “What will we get from it?” and so on. That link in question can be a malicious one that can leave malware on your systems.


Fear. You might get a call from someone sitting on a tree in Jamtara, asking you to complete the KYC process or your card will be blocked, and that you won't be able to withdraw money. Malware and threats become fear-inducing, causing the person to act further out of emotions.


One can combat this by being aware, practising self-control, and by not getting impulsive or excited. 


There is one such story in the book where a lady lures a man online into investing in precious metals on her website. He doesn't bother to check the website, inquire about the lady, or read reviews. If we do a simple background check, we can avoid such scams.


Users should be aware that one cannot get rich overnight, it takes time and effort. Things don't come for free.


Kumar: In the cyber world, before making any decision you must give yourself five seconds. Call it the five-second rule. 


Ask yourself: Why are they asking ME? Why, what, when, where, what for? Ask these questions. 


Why did I get a friend request? Why me in the whole world? Who are his friends online? Do we have mutuals? What kind of posts are on his/her page? You must inquire and check all these things.


Everything is online now, so it is inevitable that a criminal will be online as well. Since everything is now shifting online — from education to banking — users become a natural bait for criminals. 


One should not be in a hurry, so that decisions aren't taken in haste. If I give myself these five seconds and ask the right questions, I am more likely to make an informed decision.


In the case of sextortion, users receive a video call from an unknown number. Firstly, why pick it up? In these video calls, bad actors use morphed images to blackmail you. 


If you haven't committed a crime, why are you getting scared? Come out clean, and say “I haven't done anything.”


If you are lonely and fraudulent accounts add you on social media, chances are that they have scanned your profile first and psychoanalysed it. 


So, always check how many posts they have. See if you have any common friends. Control the urge to accept the request immediately. 


Whether the decision is financial or social, digital decisions need to be thought over.


Is there any trend among the users who are targeted the most online?


Manocha: A 13-year-old boy sitting in Jamtara has the skills to cheat even major scientists. The target, thus, can be anyone. And we tend to not take proper precautions.


Do update your device software regularly. Apply the five-second rule. Use antivirus on your devices and keep updating it.


Criminals usually want to commit crimes online because it’s easier than moving out from the comfort of their homes and scouting locations or accessing blueprints. Sometimes, they do it for the mere reason of outsmarting the target and the police.


In conclusion, cybercrime is a serious threat to individuals, organisations, and even nations. It is necessary to have protocols in place to respond quickly and effectively to any cyber-attacks.  


By working together, we can create a safer and more secure digital world for everyone.