Cyber Crime cases in Pakistan on rise with fast spread of internet
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Over the last few years, internet traffic in Pakistan has surged to over 83 million internet users. With over 97% of Pakistanis link accessing the internet through their cellphone, this rapid expansion can be attributed to the dissemination of 3G/4G services by significant telecom players in Pakistan.
With widespread access to the internet, numbers on social media platforms and e-commerce platforms have multiplied.
The surge in internet traffic has led to a drastic increase in cybercrimes. They vary from phishing attacks to harassment and digital identity theft and cover a myriad of other criminal activities carried out over the internet through computers or cellphones. We will be narrowing our focus in this article on three particular types of cybercrimes that pertain to social media, the financial ecosystem, and the menace of grey traffic. Social Media Cybercrime
Over the last few years, social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube, have seen an exponential increase in usage with over 37 million users link. in Pakistan as of January 2020 – an increase of 7% from the previous year. According to the Digital Rights Foundation (DRF), the most reported complaints with regards to social media are hacking, blackmailing, and impersonation.
Online harassment is another significant issue primarily faced by women. From 2016 through 2019, out of a total number of 5000 complaints, 40% were reported by women. The most-reported platforms were WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter. Only 14.2% of women said that they had reached out for help when they faced abuse online. Financial Cybercrime
According to an e-Commerce Index link launched by Daraz – one of the largest online marketplace & logistics company in Pakistan – in 2019, the platform witnessed a 2X increase in active users and a 3X increase in orders.
This growth was made possible by a 36% boost in internet penetration in 2019. Digital payments contributed 32% of total consumer spending, and the use of e-wallets increased by 8.2x year-on-year.
