June 26 - Malicious Software Scam – RGP Warning
The Royal Gibraltar Police wishes to warn computer users following reports of Malware (malicious software) scams circulating on the internet purporting to be from law enforcement agencies. This specific type of malware locks screens and requests members of the public to pay a fine to get their computers unlocked. The malware infects personal computers after users have accessed certain websites. There are similar scams involving Microsoft.
This is a fraud and users are advised not to pay out any monies or hand out any bank details. Law enforcement agencies would never contact members of the public via email and demand funds in this way.
We would advise anyone who has been deceived by such a message and parted with any money to report the offence to the Serious Crime Unit on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
In order to reduce the chances of being infected by this or similar malware, the RGP strongly recommend that anti-virus software is both used and routinely updated to keep pace with new threats as they are discovered. In addition, operating systems such as Windows and Mac OS routinely issue updates that patch potential vulnerabilities.
