Sajid Ali Naich
Humans have invented innumberable objects to comfort their life. With the beginning of 21st century, mankind witnessed greatest invention of the histroy that is Internet. It connected the humans of one corner of the earth to those sitting at other corner. It was such an incredible invention that people were bound to opt it. With the massive use of internet, very rapidly trade, shopping, banking and other source of amusement wre connected to internet. Whilst, it was performing so excellently that it proved as merciful and benefactor for its users but several crimes incepted too which were obvious a danger posing serious threat to its consumers. Crimes with new outfit emerged with title of cyber crimes ( related to internet based equipments). Some common forms of cyber crimes are discussed below. Electronic Financial Fraud is most common form of cyber crime. It includes fraudulent activities committed through online means for gaining illegal financial benefits. These impersonators pretending to be an authorized person from some bank or Benazir Income Support Program ask for personal data, bank codes and other money related information. In most cases, prey is illiterate strata of the society. Another digital crime is defaming any living person. Defamation, whether verbal or written, is an offence under section 499 of Pakistan Penal Code , 1860. Publication of false information through digital means (facebook,blog,twitter,whatsapp) with intent to harm the reputation of any living person is a crime and such an inevitable and malacious prepetator incase of defaming someone’s sanctity or performing intentional act of affront might suffer under section 20 of Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) with fine of maximum ten million rupees along three years imprisonment. Identity theft is another form of cyber crime, in which a person uses someone else’s data or information through wrongful means or sources. In this offence, a person pretends to be someone who he/she is not. He may expolite hate speech against ethnic, sectarian or religious paradigm by using his/her social media account. He may publish or post proscribed material tagged with his/her name to disparage. One must remain enough vigilant and responsible while enjoying internet. In order to be certified as untouchable from such frauds and spamming, one must keep himself active and alert during use of any social media platform. Otherwise, with a slight mistake, it may put into daunted tribulation and source of amusement can be transformed into source of depression
