POLICE have issued a warning after cheeky internet fraudsters used the Cheshire police authority logo.
A member of the public reported a virus which caused the police logo and Winsford HQ address to be displayed on screen but blocked all access.
They were then asked to pay an up-front payment of £100 to remove the block by either going to a shop and buying a Ukash voucher from which the code could be entered online or paying via money transfer through Western Union.
The fraudster claimed they would unblock the computer screen after being paid.
Realising that this was a hoax, the member of the public did not pay any money and because they had antivirus software installed, the computer had detected the infected files straightaway.
Police say people need to become ‘security savvy’ because of the number of online scams that are operating as the internet is increasingly used to pay for goods by credit card, accessing bank accounts, and downloading web content.
DS Peter Kidd, from Cheshire Police, said: “The internet has wider implications for the public who are not protecting themselves whilst online.
“This can be anything from disclosing your bank account details on websites using insecure web browsers, and downloading content to using the internet without a firewall in place or without antivirus software installed.
“Antivirus software will stop most viruses from even entering your laptop because they raise the alarm to infected files which have been found.
“Cyber crime can be minimised if the public know what preventative measures to take, prior to going online.”
