The Ministry of Interior (MoI) has reiterated that the penalty for cybercrimes ranges from 6 months to five years imprisonment. The cybercrime as defined by Qatari Law is any act involving an unlawful use of an information technology technique, an information system or the internet, in violation of the provisions of the law.
Recently, speaking in a virtual seminar, First Lieutenant Engineer Abdulaziz Muhammad Al Kaabi, Officer at the Digital Forensic Lab, Economic and Cybercrimes Combating Department said: “The cybercrimes include hacking, fraud of all kinds, threat & blackmailing, sexual exploitation of children, and spreading rumours.”
Regarding the penalties, he said the penalties differ according to the offense, ranging from 6 months to five years imprisonment and fines ranging from QR10,000 to QR500,000. More than 140 persons from the leaders and representatives of the expatriate communities in Qatar participated in the event which was held under the title “How to Prevent Cyber and Financial Crimes”.
The event was organized in collaboration with Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Interior. He also affirmed that unauthorised photography through cameras and mobile phones, not only of accidents, but of everything that violates the sanctity of private life is criminalised, and the punishment is imprisonment for a period of not exceeding to two years and a fine not exceeding to QR10,000. In order to avoid becoming a victim of a cybercrimes, Al Kaabi advised people not to give the ID number/copy to anyone.
“You must always preserve the ID card and do not hand over it or copies of the ID to anyone to conduct a transaction on your behalf,” he said. Also, he said, additional security measures should be set up in the e-mail, such as a phone number and a backup e-mail.
Al Kaabi advised parents to monitor children’s phones and computers, noting that all latest phones come with kids mode, where most harmful content is automatically blocked for children. The officer also explained the importance of quick reporting such types of incidents to the Department.
The virtual seminar concluded with general instructions on how to protect e-mail from theft and piracy, protecting credit cards and bank accounts, as well as how to deal with anonymous calls and messages.
