Mail from the police to explain? Watch out, that’s how criminals work now. They can lock the computer

Internet scammers are constantly looking for new ways to hijack the computer or money of less observant Internet users, and their favorite method is phishing (impersonating a trustworthy person or organization). In recent weeks, we have warned, inter alia, against criminals pretending to be Polish banks, well-known fuel and energy companies or the tax office. Criminals in their online scams – just like in the real world – also impersonate police officers.

Internet scammers pretend to be the police. They can take over the computer

Office for Combating Cybercrime of the Police Headquarters. Officers explain that Internet users receive false messages sent by e-mail, in which criminals inform about the alleged need to submit explanations by e-mail.

In their messages, they try to convince the potential victim that he is “covered by legal proceedings” concerning, inter alia, child pornography, pedophilia or exhibitionism. To make the fraud credible, they use, inter alia, logotypes of the Polish police, Interpol, the emblem of Poland and the names of the chief and capital police commanders.

Fraudsters encourage Internet users to contact the e-mail address provided, giving them several dozen hours to explain the alleged crimes or – as they say – “express their opinion” and “write down the reasons”. They scare that otherwise they will send details about the “cases” and “files” of the victim to the appropriate services or even the media.

Fake e-mail messages. Fraudsters impersonate the police photo: policja.pl (https://policja.pl/pol/aktualnosci/214738,UWAGA-Oszusci-chwyca-sie-kazdego-sposobu-by-sie-uwiarygodnic-Ostrzez-znajomych.html)

Fortunately, messages sent by fraudsters are prepared carelessly and should seem suspicious at first glance. There are also errors (for example in the name of the Warsaw Police Commander), many sentences seem to be translated in the online translator, and their content does not resemble official documents.

According to the police, any contact with criminals may end up in an attempt to steal personal data or infect the computer with malware, which may lead to the complete blocking of the computer (ransomware). In such a situation, criminals demand a ransom to unblock access to the equipment.