Cyber Crime
Revenge Crime: Minor Creates Fake Instagram Profile Of Neighbour To Portray Her As Sex Worker
SURAT: A 35-year-old woman was taken aback when she started receiving phone calls from unfamiliar numbers requesting sexual favours. Soon her friends informed her of an Instagram account running on her name and carrying her picture portraying her as a sex worker. The account also had her contact information and other details.
Troubled with the situation, the woman filed a complaint with the cybercrime police station. But the police investigation shocked everyone. The technical surveillance showed that this was the handiwork of a 17-year-old ITI student who lived in the victim’s neighbourhood. The boy set up the fake Instagram account to get revenge on the woman.
The police released the accused, a Palanpur Patiya resident, with a warning because he was a minor. Before releasing him, the cops reminded him about the implications of committing such a crime in front of his parents.
According to police, in the past, the boy used to stalk and harass the woman on social media. Getting irritated with his act the woman informed the boy’s parents. Parents took strict action against him by scolding and thrashing him, which made the boy angry.
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“As a kind of retaliation, he began harassing the woman by posting hateful remarks on the woman’s original Instagram account. She then blocked him, and he began sending messages to the woman’s friends, who also blocked him. Later, to continue harassing the woman, he created a fake Instagram account for her. The boy uploaded her images and her contact details. In the profile, he mentioned that she was a sex worker,” said a senior police officer.
After the case came to light the account was blocked and based on technical details the boy was tracked. The adolescent’s father is an engineer.
According to cyber experts, such cases of revenge and online stalking are on a rapid rise. Students don’t realise the repercussion of such acts and get involved in serious crimes.
SOME TIPS FOR THE ONLINE SAFETY OF KIDS:
Supervise – It may seem obvious, but keep an eye on your child’s online usage. Encourage them to browse and remain on websites with which you are familiar. Make sure you are aware of any password-protected websites they may be visiting, and ask them to share their login information with you.
Be Open – Encourage your child to be upfront about what they are doing online and with whom they are socialising. Encourage a safe culture in the home and educate your children about potential hazards.
Safeguard your family – As part of your internet security package, use parental controls to limit access to sites you don’t want your child to see — it’s a simple method to avert disaster. Examine the default settings on each app that your child uses to verify that the camera or microphone, for example, are not turned on inadvertently, as they might constitute a security risk.
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