Notification of a scam from local police

Fraud details

A message comes up on your computer screen stating to be from ‘Metropolitan Police Central E-Crime Unit’. The message states that illegal activity has occurred on the computer and £100 must be paid within 24 hours for the computer to be unlocked.

 
(It could be any Police Force stated in the email.)

Please do not pay any money to these scams, and if you are affected, please report these incidents to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

 
Alternatively, follow this link: www.actionfraud.police.uk to see a full list of current scams.

Thank you for your continued support.

 
Further details.

The Metropolitan Police have received a number of complaints from members of the public concerning an ongoing Internet scam.

 Whilst using their personal computer the victim will visit a web site and click on an apparently genuine link.

 However, the link is not what it purports to be and clicking on it causing a particularly nasty piece of malware known as ‘ransomware’ to be downloaded onto the victim’s computer.

 This apparently causes the victim’s operating system to lock-up, rendering it unusable.

 A screen shot is then displayed to the victim, headed by the Union Flag and the Metropolitan Police logo. It contains a message to the user, purporting to come from the Metropolitan Police, stating that the victim has been caught visiting web sites containing extreme pornography or material related to terrorism.

 The victim is then told that to unlock their computer they must pay a penalty of £100 to the Metropolitan Police through the UKASH online payment system. 

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