Scamwatch: "illegal" website fraud
Stay one step ahead of the fraudsters with our series of articles giving you the lowdown on the scams they use to trick people out of their hard-earned cash - and how to avoid being taken in by them.
This week, we home in on a new type of fraud that involves emails claiming to be part of a police crackdown on people visiting illegal websites.
How does it work?
People targeted by this type of fraud receive emails purporting to be from the police and demanding payment if they want to avoid action being taken against them for visiting "illegal" websites.
The main aim of the scam is to panic recipients into paying up before realising they are being defrauded.
Tragically, however, A-level student Joseph Edwards - who suffered from autism - reacted by hanging himself at his home in Windsor instead.
Edwards took his life after receiving an email claiming to be from Cheshire Police and demanding a £100 payment to avoid prosecution for visiting "illegal" websites and viewing indecent images.
His mother has since launched a campaign to make children more aware of the dangers of internet scams.
How can I avoid being caught out?
There are lots of telltale signs that make it easier to spot bogus emails purporting to be from trusted organisations such as the police.
In many cases, for example, the messages are sent from an email address that doesn't tally with the organisation's website address.
Other signs that you are being targeted by fraudsters include that the email starts with a non-specific greeting such as "Dear Sir" or contains spelling and grammatical errors or a request for personal information such as your bank details.
And if you receive a suspicious email, the best advice is to ignore it and to avoid clicking on any links or attachments that could allow a virus to infect your computer.
I've been defrauded. What should I do?
If you have responded to a fraudulent email purporting to be from from the police, or worse still made a payment to the senders, you should report the fraud to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
It is also important to contact your bank as soon as possible if you think you may have compromised the safety of your bank details.
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Scamwatch: pension fraud
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