ALL Gmail and Outlook users have been urged not to fall for an alarming email that’s already targeted hundreds of Brits.
And experts say there is a telltale sign for spotting these “threatening” messages that are cleverly designed to make people react out of panic.
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And it could land in any inbox, whether you use Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo or others.
Action Fraud has revealed that a number of fake emails claiming to come from the NCA (National Crime Agency) have been doing the rounds.
The use of such threatening language creates a significant and emotional impact upon the recipient
Action Fraud
The worrying communication claims to have evidence that the receiver has accessed and viewed “child pornography” or other “illegal pornographic content” online.
To alarm the recipient further, the email demands that the person make contact within a specified deadline.
The fake goes on to say that failing to respond will lead to a warrant for their arrest being issued, as well as adding their name to the sex offenders register.
They even mention legislation to make the ruse sound real.
Of course, receiving an email like this even when you know you’ve done nothing wrong is enough to shock anyone, which is exactly the sort of reaction cyber crooks seek to achieve.
“The use of such threatening language creates a significant and emotional impact upon the recipient,” Action Fraud warned.
“The time pressure that is applied encourages victims to panic and act without thinking, unknowingly exposing themselves to compromise and blackmail.”
The police believe that fraudsters have set up the scam to lure victims into initiating communication so that you unknowingly give out personal details.
This can then be used for blackmail or to commit fraud.
“Unlike other emails which impersonate law enforcement, there is no up-front demand for money however, where victims have engaged with the suspects, they have demanded money at a later stage,” Action Fraud added.
From December last year to January, more than 180 reports about NCA impersonations were received.
The most important thing to do when seeing any email that’s worrying or threatening is to not act hastily out of panic – take the time to calmly think.
But the key telltale sign to know this sort of email is indeed a scam is by looking at who the sender claims to be, the NCA.
As Action Fraud points out, the NCA will never send unsolicited correspondence requesting money or bank details.
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The best thing to do is forward the email onto [email protected] so experts can investigate and take action to stamp the scam out.
Then you should delete it.
How to protect yourself from scams
BY keeping these tips in mind, you can avoid getting caught up in a scam:
- Firstly, remember that if something seems too good to be true, it normally is.
- Check brands are “verified” on Facebook and Twitter pages – this means the company will have a blue tick on its profile.
- Look for grammatical and spelling errors; fraudsters are notoriously bad at writing proper English. If you receive a message from a “friend” informing you of a freebie, consider whether it’s written in your friend’s normal style.
- If you’re invited to click on a URL, hover over the link to see the address it will take you to – does it look genuine?
- To be on the really safe side, don’t click on unsolicited links in messages, even if they appear to come from a trusted contact.
- Be careful when opening email attachments too. Fraudsters are increasingly attaching files, usually PDFs or spreadsheets, which contain dangerous malware.
- If you receive a suspicious message then report it to the company, block the sender and delete it.
- If you think you’ve fallen for a scam, report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use its online fraud reporting tool.