And now, a fake Police virus too!

Cyber Dost warns the public asking to be aware of fake pop up notices and to clean their computers using antivirus programmes.

Hyderabad: A call or message from the police usually unnerves most, especially if it says you have done some mischief, more so if it is something like visiting an adult content site. And it is this fear that cybercrooks are exploiting now, using what is called a ‘Fake Police virus’ or a ‘Police Trojan’. It comes in the form of a pop-up, often with the official logo and name of the local law enforcement agency, either on your desktop, email or sometimes in Facebook or Messenger. The message usually says ‘your computer is being blocked owing to viewing of pornographic content and you need to pay a fine’.

Cyber Dost, the cyber-safety and cybersecurity awareness handle maintained by the Ministry of Home Affairs has now issued a warning asking the public to be aware of such fake pop up notices and to clean their computers using antivirus programmes. It also asks to avoid any payment and to refrain from clicking untrusted links or downloading pirated operating systems or software.

According to internet security reports, the fake Police pop up is a ransomware attempt that masquerades as a police notification and has stolen data and money from tech users across the globe. It is mostly scare-ware, which scares you and makes you click on links, or the popup notice, leading to malicious software being downloaded on your system, and in turn, enabling ransomware.

Security firms say that if you get the pop-up window on your PC with such a message, there is no need to panic, even if at some point you actually visited mischievous websites! Even a link that redirected to website with adult content or even gambling related content can result in such pop-ups. Just remember, it’s a scam and it’s not the police. Do not pay.