Catfishing, put simply, is when someone sets up a fake online identity and uses it to trick and control others. In the case of Kirat, this was perpetrated by her cousin. Simran Bhoga.

Simran posed as a multitude of different characters, the main of them being a man named Bobby. Over the span of almost 10 years, 'Bobby' and Kirat would form a deep emotional connection, eventually leading to a romantic relationship.

The presence of catfishing in romantic settings is extremely common, so much so that there are multiple online forums dedicated to things like common signs of catfishing and how to prevent it from happening to you. One tip often given is to meet up early on in the relationship, and for Kirat, this is what eventually exposed the truth surrounding 'Bobby.'

As Kirat's relationship with 'Bobby' progressed over the years, multiple things would occur to further deepen the emotional investment between the two. Cheating, divorces, and near-death experiences experienced by 'Bobby' would strengthen Kirat's care for the man, leading to the two spending a large amount of time together.

Simran used coercive control to tighten the hold she had on Kirat, using emotional manipulation and constant cyber harassment to isolate her from her family. Isolation like how Kirat experienced is a major tactic used in both the digital and terrestrial world by abusers. It creates a sense of reliance and entrapment that is hard to break free from, further perpetuating the abusive behaviour. Often, this abuse leads to suicidal thoughts and chronic feelings of hopelessness.

Despite the emotional turmoil experienced by both Kirat and the real people Simran impersonated while talking to her, there was not a criminal case. Catfishing itself is not considered a criminal offence, and instead, the catfisher might be prosecuted for other crimes associated with it.

This places catfishing into the realm of digital harms, and makes justice for victims of it extremely difficult to achieve outside of potential civil compensation.

Phishing is a cyber-dependent crime, meaning that it is entirely reliant on technology and the digital realm to occur. This leaves those not well versed in cyber security at a greater risk of phishing, as the fast-developing methods of such a crime make it incredibly difficult to discern potential threats. In the case of LabHost, this technological development is what made the service so dangerous.

Victims of these cybercrimes made possible by LabHost would receive fake SMS messages from a service in their countries, selling the realism of the text. Often, these SMS messages would pose as mail-related services, prompting the victim to disclose details such as their full name, address, and card information. Other brands accessible to the user of LabHost included banks, and government websites. By posing as legitimate and local services, the line between threat and innocuity becomes blurred.

April 18 2024 would mark the fall of this site, with a collaborative effort from international law enforcement and trusted private industries resulting in the PhaaS site being taken down, and multiple arrests taking place.

Amongst those arrested in the wake of the sting operation was a 21-year-old Melbourne man. Alone, he victimised 11 Australians, of which two were defrauded out of $34,000. After pleading guilty to the charges against him, the Melbourne man was given the sanctions of: 3 months' imprisonment, an 18-month community corrections order including 200 hours of community service, and a compensation order of $34,990.

The success of this sting operation provides hope for possible further operations in the future surrounding cyber crime. With the internet being a worldwide thing, getting justice against offenders who use the internet as their 'hunting ground' becomes extremely complicated. Jurisdictional issues arise when the offender and victim are not in the same country. So where the Melbourne man was able to face punishment for his crimes against fellow Australians, victims outside of Australia may not receive the same outcome. This is called 'Jurisdictional disparity.'

There are also issues faced by police. LabHost proves that the technology for cybercrime is becoming increasingly more accessible, and complicated. Over 40,000 different fraudulent sites hosted by LabHost were shut down, which begs the question of how law enforcement is meant to train in and keep up with an ever-growing world of cybercrime.

Serious bullying is a crime that can take place in both the terrestrial and cyberspace, however, laws regarding cyberbullying took time to come into place. Bullying itself has existed in society across the span of time, and with the introduction of online spaces, it has become cyber-enabled. Bullying no longer requires face-to-face interaction to take place, placing victims at greater risk.

Dolly, unfortunately, faced both forms of bullying while attending Scots PGC College, a private Queensland boarding school. Verbal and physical abuse were improperly dealt with by faculty, despite concerns being raised by both Kate and Tick Everett - Dolly's parents.

The bullying lasted ages 12 to 14, the span of her time at the private boarding school, and only worsened as time progressed. On top of the abuse she was already facing, image-based abuse came into play after one of her fellow students convinced Dolly to "take photographs of herself and send them to him."

Her death made clear exactly how seriously cyberbullying can affect a vulnerable person, which falls in line with the 'Routine Activity Theory' (RAT). RAT builds upon a previously established theory, and states that in order for a crime to occur, there must be 3 elements present: A motivated offender, a suitable target, and the absence of a capable guardian. Online spaces contain a distinct lack of capable monitors, even with features such as blocking and reporting. Deleting social media isn't always an option, either, especially in cases like Dolly's. Social media is a way of remote communication, and while away from home, it would have been vital for Dolly to keep those connections.

The changes that would be made to New South Wales law regarding domestic and personal violence (section 13) involved addressing behaviours that amount to stalking or intimidation, with intent to cause fear, and mental or physical harm. The maximum penalty of such behaviours is 5 years imprisonment.

In addition to law reforms, Kate and Tick Everett were able to start a foundation in honour of their daughter. Dolly's Dream would come to bring both families affected by suicide as a result of bullying together, and provide support for children facing both terrestrial and cyber torment.

The attack on Victorian courts is believed to be a ransomware attack, although no demands for payments have been made as of February 2025. Australian courts are not the first to be targeted, with incidents taking place across the globe in Chile, the US, Brazil, as well as the International Criminal Court. Courts in general are also not the only targets for ransomware attacks.

Speculation around the possibility of this being a double extortion tactic has been presented. With a double extortion approach, the data gathered from the courts' audio-visual system would be taken and then encrypted. This approach doubles how much victims of this tactic are demanded to pay, as not only do they have to pay to receive the data, they also need to pay for it to be accessible.

Incidents involving ransomware are becoming increasingly more common, with 118 of the 127 extortion-related crimes in the previous year were incidents of ransomware. The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) spoke alongside the media during coverage of the Victorian Courts' attack. Victims of ransomware are advised by the ASD to not pay whatever it is cybercriminals ask for. This makes sense, as there is no way to ensure that your data will be returned to you safely, or at all. Individuals and especially businesses, should report incidents of data breaches to the relevant authorities for the best possible outcome.

Aside from obtaining the best outcome, it is important to report incidents of ransomware - and cybercrime in general - to the authorities, as it alerts them to any possible patterns going on in the digital crime network.

Cyber attacks cause a lot of panic in communities, as breaches of private and often sensitive data put people's livelihood and safety at risk This attack on the courts is especially concerning. So, to help ease those concerned, there is an FAQ site posted by Court Services Victoria related to the cyber attacks.

As of now, there has been no conclusion to this instance of data breaching. Evidence shows that there is the possibility for involvement of the Russian-based hacking gang Qilin - also known as Agenda - present, however, nothing is confirmed.

Over 2 million individuals had their identities listed for sale on the site.

Operation Cookie Monster resulted in the arrest of 119 cybercriminals worldwide, with 208 raids taking place.

Genesis Market used malware to compromise victims' devices, allowing cybercriminals to gain data: Fingerprints, cookies, saved logins, and autofill form data. They were also given the means to use whatever data it is they bought. The buyers would be alerted to any password changes, making it impossible for victims to regain security and control. Utilising a browser identical to their victims', buyers could use their information without triggering any of the security measures that may have alerted their victim. Even with all of those services, one of the features that made Genesis Market so dangerous, is how accessible it was to those seeking to use it.

Easy access to illegal services increases the commonality of them. Digital drift is a term that describes the phenomenon of individuals - younger individuals in particular - engaging and disengaging in benign crimes. The internet has increased the occurrence of digital drift, as it becomes much easier to access forums, groups, and websites than enable and encourage crime as a form of entertainment. Genesis Market's easy invite-only access provided those with money a way to get more of it, and without ever seeing their victims, it would be easier to view them as nothing more than a means to getting money.

The day following Genesis Market's shutdown, a 32-year-old Melbourne man was arrested for using and buying data from the site. Police seized a mobile phone and laptop, with forensic examination finding approximately 650 stolen credentials he had purchased. He was charged, and later sentenced after pleading guilty.

Genesis Market was one of the biggest online spaces for cybercriminals to buy stolen identities and information, and with its closure, it is likely that another site will eventually emerge. Hopefully, Operation Cookie Monster can be used as a reference to deal with possible emerging illegal online marketplaces in the future.