Cybercrimes Women Face Today

Off late, cybercrimes have become a major concern and undoubtedly a considerable threat to the safety of women who use social media. Almost every device we use is linked to the internet; which is a large pool of possibilities-both good and bad.

Facts and Figures:

A sharp rise in cybercrime related to women has been witnessed over the past few years and this makes it an alarming issue that needs special attention. According to the recent survey, more than half of the respondents who took the survey have been targets of cybercrimes at one point or the other.

Surprisingly, not many women take action and remain silent sufferers. We know that women get threatened, abused or misbehaved online on a daily basis but how many of these cases are considered a major concern? Not many. Reason being, several of these cases are considered minor inconveniences and shooed away but the fact that these have the potential to turn into a major threat is often ignored. Plus, by 2021, the cybercrime rates globally are expected to be $6 trillion.

To give a better understanding of it, Here we have listed 7 most common cybercrimes women are facing today and what preventive measures can be taken to avoid/combat such situations:

Hacking

Hacking is undoubtedly the most popular on the list of cyber crimes related to women, simply because of the fact that several cases of hacking are reported every year. The incident, where a female's account is hacked and misused for monetary or personal benefits, is a common scenario because of the access to the internet and other resources is readily available.

Measures:

It is easy to hack into a person's account if the settings are set public. For instance, if you've provided the email and mobile info, it'll be visible to everyone which makes your account an easy target. Hence, keep the profile private and keep updating your privacy settings.

Never leave your account logged in on any computer. It's wise to log out once you're done checking the updates and for better safety, clear the history too.

Social media accounts are used to stay in touch with people who we know and ironically, it was seen that many hacking crimes have been committed by close friends, acquaintances, colleagues etc. hence, be careful who you add to your friends list on social media.

Cyber-Bullying:

Hiding behind the anonymity, bullies harass females on different levels through various means like SMS, social media posts, emails etc. This is one form of cybercrime that has the potential to affect a person's well-being if gone unnoticed. It leads to depression, insecurities, anxiety, and even suicide.

According to the recent study, in the last six months, the member count in fraud-related activities has risen to about 70% on social media.

Last year, In 21 countries, about 700 million people have been victims of cybercrime in one form or the other. (Source: Symantec)

Measures:

One major step to take in order to combat this situation is to 'report'. Ignoring the signs can make the harasser feel like he/she has power over you.

Inform the police or reach out to trusted people for help.

Do not give in. All the hate comments, threats will be powerless until and unless you choose to give them the power to affect you.

Financial Fraud:

Solely based on the intention to loot people and gain monetary benefits, financial fraud is a crime that has seen high rise lately. Many a time online transactions made in the hope of receiving promised services turn out to be a fraud. Online portals that ask for credit card details or bank details get access to your account and rob you of the money or make changes to the account without your consent.

According to RSA, the amount of money cyber frauds have looted in 2017 from people all over the world is $1.5 trillion.

Measures:

Avoid giving your account details online.

Make purchases through verified gateways only.

While shopping, choose the online stores that are trusted and verified.

Photoshop and Pictures Going Viral:

Mostly done by the means of pictures posted on social media platforms, this one is another concern for women's safety online. Posting personal information and pictures publicly leads to crimes that involve morphing and abuse over the internet. The worst part is, once the image goes public and viral, it is almost impossible to delete or stop it from spreading.

According to the survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, 25 % of women have reported being the victim of online sexual harassment out of which, only five percent have reported it to the police.

Measures:

Posting pictures on social media might not cause harm all the time, but when done without taking proper measures it can ruin lives. So, prefer private settings over public settings.

Keep a check on who sees your pictures and avoid adding strangers on social media.

Sharing personal images online can be risky.

In the case of spam or encountering such abuse, report to the police immediately.

Dating Scam and Blackmail Threats:

In the era where online dating is the trend and relationships are managed online, several dating sites and apps are high in demand. But, like every good thing, this too has drawbacks; among which, user safety is one. Duplication of accounts, fake identities, threats and blackmailing are some of the dangerous consequences of these online dating apps.

We often access these apps through phone and it is the time you know that most cybercrimes are now happening primarily through mobile phones.

According to RSA, about 80% of fraud is done using mobile apps as a basis.

Measures:

Using dating apps can be fun but the risk of falling prey to fraudsters is pretty high. So, the best way to deal with this is to be careful with the personal information you provide.

Do not share images or any personal details with strangers.

Reach out to police or trusted ones in case of abuse/threats.

Honestly, cybercrime is one issue that has spread like a wildfire and occurs at various levels; right from bullying at school to posting mean comments on social media, there is a lot that happens offline too which contributes to increase in cybercrime rate. Spreading awareness about it and understanding that help is being provided for victims is very important.

Be fearless and know that it is after all just a virtual world - never give it the power to destroy your real world.