Investigators With AP Police Finding Hard to Solve Cyber-Crimes

For some investigators, a few types of crimes for example cyber-stalking and phishing may seem more-or-less new, therefore there's an urgent requirement for imparting training to them towards tackling these incidences. In Andhra Pradesh (India), since investigation officers didn't have adequate skill, they confronted a huge problem while probing incidences related to the said offences as also while gathering electronic clues, said U Rama Mohan Additional Superintendent of Police (Cyber-Crime). Deccan Herald reported this on February 24, 2011.

Incidentally, phishing attacks, nowadays, against small-and-medium sized businesses (SMBs) are increasing and they're widely victimizing these organizations. Consequently, when any cyber-criminal gains control over a PC that contains the user's data on his company's financial accounts, that cyber-criminal becomes equipped with the capability for stealing funds, which means an adverse situation for the user vis-à-vis his business.

Thus any cyber-crime investigation needs tracing down the perpetrator i.e. the sender of certain scam e-mail alternatively the executor of a fake online bank transaction. In such a situation, an investigator who doesn't possess the required expertise is likely to find it hard for tracing and catching the culprit, said Rama Mohan.

Mohan also said that the police had gone through different training courses using experts' knowledge in the field of IT law since cyber-crimes needed tracing criminals online.

Many investigators find cyber-offences relatively new that comprise misdemeanors like dispatching provocative e-mails, executing bogus bank transactions, phishing and cyber-stalking. Incidentally, during phishing, fake e-mails and genuine website spoofing are utilized for stealing financial information when users go online, for reasons like ID-theft.

Said Mohan, people required being sensitized towards valuing electronic clues placed during legal prosecutions. But, all legal officers mayn't possess the right knowledge about terminologies such as e-banking, full header, IP address or hacking. MSN News published this on February 24, 2011.

In the meantime, the cyber-crime wing of CID, whose jurisdiction includes the whole of Andhra Pradesh, registered 169 incidences within the purview of different Sections of the IT Act and IPC. Accordingly, during 2007-10, the police detained 41 individuals, including Nigerians suspected of committing phishing, hacking, and ATM and debit card frauds, said Mohan.

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» SPAMfighter News - 3/4/2011