Online atrocity

The Bahrain cyber-crime unit, which was established in 2006 under the Ministry of Interior umbrella, has been tackling an avalanche of complaints from the public and private sector regarding an array of issues such as abusive or threatening emails, slander and hacking of accounts.

The island, like elsewhere in the world, has witnessed an explosion in social media activity.

These amazing communication tools, however, have a downside. Since 2010, more than 200 cases of concern have been reported every year, with more than 300 cases made in 2011 alone following the civil unrest which provoked previously unheard of animosity between rival fractions.

The head of the Interior Ministry’s cyber-crime unit, First Lieutenant Mohammed Yousif Bu Ali, is determined to raise awareness of the issues and offer advice on how readers can protect themselves from online sexual predators and email hackers.

One thing is for certain, cyber-crime does not discriminate. It has affected both children and adults. Victims are often blackmailed into handing over cash to prevent their pictures from being circulated online or ridiculous slander being spread.

Mr Bu Ali said: “Day-by-day these online criminals are getting smarter. We have two departments, a net crime division and a computer forensic division that deals with any electronic evidence that can be used online, or offline.

“When people have a complaint that they are being targeted, they tend to report it to their local police station where officers direct them to us.

“This can happen to women and to men, it doesn’t matter, which is why I urge people to protect themselves. Although women are targetted more often than men it is still better for all to be cautious.

“We have seen many fake accounts on social media sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, disclosing personal details and even posting pictures on pornographic or matrimonial sites.

“Also, hacking Facebook accounts is literally a cakewalk for some and this can prove dangerous as there are photographs along with personal details which can be used in the wrong way.

“If people are more alert this could be avoided and they can stay safe and surf the web without complications.”

A few of the case studies that Mr Bu Ali shared involved a 16-year-old boy who hacked into a girl’s MSN chat messenger, stole her profile ID image and her contact list.

He then impersonated her and began to chat with her friends made up mostly of young Arab girls. He would video call them when they could not spot him but he could clearly see them in their pajamas or getting dressed to go out.

He would also urge them to send images and once he collected enough, would blackmail each girl into dating him for his silence. Otherwise, he threatened that the images would be distributed to family and friends, as well as posted on the internet to ruin the girl’s reputation.

This boy targeted more than 20 girls who each feared the consequences of not obeying him.
The girls’ families came forward on behalf of their children and that’s how his dirty deeds were discovered. Eventually, the boy was caught and sentenced to spend time at a Juvenile Care Centre. He was still there at the age of 18.

“In many cases we can easily track down the culprit, or culprits, after following through our meticulous protocol, which includes first and foremost a complaint from the victim,” said Mr Bu Ali.

“All our cases are important. These are abusive criminals, or cyber bullies, that have two motives. They either want money or an intimate relationship. When the female says no, the criminal gets angry and often retaliates with cyber abuse.

“Sometimes the criminals can also be women targeting other women. For example, one friend gets angry with the other, knows all her secrets so she uses them against her online. Jealousy, anger or blackmail can do that to a person.”

While most of the victims are women, it doesn’t mean that men do not face similar issues. At one point, a group of criminals began to steal female profile pictures and identities and use them to lure men into sending pornographic images.

Mr Bu Ali advises people to be more aware of what they are doing online.

A draft law is being discussed in parliament, which could impose a maximum fine of up to BD100,000 on hackers.

* If you are being targeted, contact 999 and the authorities will direct you to the cyber-crime unit. As for public companies that want to report a violation, call the Criminal Investigation Department on 17718888 to make an appointment.