FE REPORT
Only 7.4 per cent of the total number of cybercrime victims, who complained with the authorities concerned, have got a positive response this year, says a study.
The percentage of the expected response following complaints on cybercrime falls 15.18 per cent as per the 2022 report. It was 22.22 per cent in 2021.
The report finds 50.27 per cent of the victims of cybercrime in Bangladesh are the victims of cyber bullying in various ways.
The bullying includes abuse by defacing images, pornographic content, abuse on social media and online-phone-messaging threats, according to the study.
The report says the hacking of other online accounts, including those on social media, are on the first place, with a rate of 23.79 per cent.
It was 28.31 per cent last year.
Cybercrime Awareness Foundation (CCA Foundation) came up with the report styled 'Cybercrime trends in Bangladesh 2022' in the auditorium of the Crime Reporters Association of Bangladesh.
The research was sponsored by the technology service provider Cyber Paradise Ltd.
With CCA Foundation president Kazi Mustafiz in the chair, research team head Monira Nazmi Jahan, senior lecturer in law at East West University, presented the details of the report.
The incidence of misinformation on social media has increased to 18.67 per cent, a 2.36-per cent increase from 16.31 per cent in the last year's report.
The report was prepared based on a survey in which about 199 victims were asked 18 questions from February 15 to March 02.
The survey shows only 53 victims have reported problems to law-enforcement agencies this year, which is 26.6 per cent of the total number of victims.
However, it is 5.17 per cent higher than last year's.
The number of female complainants is comparatively lower than their male complainants.
Among female victims, only 11.06 per cent approached law-enforcement agencies, and 45.73 per cent were reluctant to take legal action.
The reasons why victims do not seek legal action vary, according to the report.
A maximum of 21-per cent victims did not take legal action to keep the matter secret while 17 per cent did not take any action to protect their social image.
On the other hand, 17 per cent avoided to go to the police because they assumed there would be no benefit even if they filed a complaint.
Again, 17 per cent refused to complain thinking that they might undergo harassment after complaints.
Among other reasons, 7.0-per cent victims did not take any action because the accused were influential.
On the other hand, 2.0-per cent victims did not feel the need to take any action.
The study further shows that 43.22 per cent of the victims are aware of the laws related to information and communication technology.
The remaining 56.78 per cent are totally in the dark about existing laws of the land.
The amount of harassment using pictures and videos of private moments was 7.69 per cent last year, which has increased to 9.34 per cent this year.
In addition, the number of harassment by distorting a victim's photo using Photoshop was 5.85 per cent last year. The figure stands at 6.93 per cent this year.
As people have got used to online shopping amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of victims of fraud while buying products online has marked a sharp rise.
According to the survey, an estimated 15.06 per cent of people have been deceived while buying products online.
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