Fake FB profiles: Cyber Cell gets 46 complaints

*An employee of an IT firm created a fake Facebook profile of his female colleague and posted wrong information that she is getting married because she is pregnant.

*A boy created a fake Facebook account and posted girl’s mobile number on the account inviting obscene phone calls from anonymous persons

These are just samples of the nearly four dozen complaints received by the Chandigarh Cyber Crime Cell with regard to misuse of Facebook accounts. Against the 46 complaints received this year the Cyber Crime Cell registered only one case because in all the other cases the parties involved entered into a compromise. Incidentally,majority of the victims are girls.

The complainants in most of the cases have refused to pursue their complaints after preliminary investigation revealed that their friends and known ones were involved in the creation/misuse of the fake profile.

The complaints are mainly involving youngsters who find and effective medium to avenge their strained relationship with their known. The major reasons for the creation of fake profile are generally matrimonial dispute,business rivalry or just college and school fights.

Inspector Neeraj Sarna,Head,Chandigarh Police Cyber Crime Cell,said,“We have been receiving cases regarding fake profile on a regular basis. The majority of complainants are from youngsters and people involved in the Information Technology sector. In most of the cases the near and dear ones of the victims are involved. A major part of the complaints are involving creation of fake profile of girls.”

Recently a software engineer from Bhiwani was arrested for creating a fake FB profile of his wife. The accused also engaged in vulgar conversation with other people from the fake profile. Investigation revealed that the couple were involved in a matrimonial dispute.

Creation of a fake Profile or identity theft which is covered under Section 66a of the Information Technology Act (IT Act) is a bailable offence. If a person is also engaging in posting vulgar and wrong information about the victim then they can be punished for a minimum of three years.

The youngest person involved in the creation of a fake profile was a class X boy residing in Sector 21. He had created a fake FB profile of a girl studying in his school.