Yes they can. A malicious piece of software called ransomware can be unintentionally installed on your computer and hold you to ransom for access to your own files.
You may have clicked on a seemingly innocent email or website and the ransomware has downloaded to your computer. Then a screen appears with a message such as
“All of the files on this computer have been encrypted. You have 24 hours to submit payment to receive the encryption key, otherwise your files will be permanently destroyed.”
You can choose to pay, in the hope of getting access to your files but there is no guarantee. You can choose to ignore the threat or you can go to an IT expert for assessment. Sometimes the message on screen is more threatening, such as
It may display what looks like an FBI page warning that you have committed an illegal act and must pay a fine or it may appear to a UK Police Force or some other authority. It is all fake of course as the FBI and other authorities do not practice blackmail.
To protect your computers against ransomware, make sure you have up to date anti-virus installed, take regular backups of all important documents and consider installing anti malware software.
Across the globe in 2014, there were 8.8 million ransomware attacks reported and this crime is rising rapidly.
ActionFraud is the UK’s national fraud and cyber crime reporting centre.
The website is www.actionfraud.police.uk/ and it’s designed for people to report fraud and cyber crimes. They don’t take action against these criminals but they do build up intelligence of the relevant crimes that happen.
ActionFraud is linked with The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) which sits alongside Action Fraud within the City of London Police and they are the national policing lead for fraud.
The NFIB collates and analyses intelligence on fraud, identifying viable lines of enquiry and developing packages for submitting to a police force for investigation.
What happens to my report once has it been made to Action Fraud?
The website says that the reports are sent for assessment by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) helping to build a national picture of where fraud and cyber crime is taking place and how. Experts review the data from these reports to decide whether there is enough information to send to a police force for investigation.
The NFIB aims to send you an update in writing around 28 working days after you have made your fraud report, to advise you what action has been taken on your report.
It’s clearly a good idea that information and reports on these crimes are made to one organisation rather than being spread across all of the Police Forces and that there are experts assessing the level and location and patterns of activity in these crimes
The Action Fraud website does have a lot of information on how to prevent being defrauded and guidance on aspects of the law but it is primarily for reporting such crimes. And they do warn people of latest scams and related activity.
We are pleased to notify you the Draw (#2092) of the NATIONAL LOTTERY, Online Sweepstakes International Lottery Program held on Saturday, 9th April, 2016”
“The result of our computer draw (#2092) which took place on Saturday, 9th April, 2016 selected email address attached to an e-ticket number 56475600545 188 with Serial number (5627635368/10) drew the lucky numbers: 26 27 46 47 52 58 (bonus no. 48), which subsequently won you the lottery in the 1st category to the sum of £66,070,646.00 which is to be shared between two lucky winners of whom you are one”.
Now that is a genuine draw – the 9th April and the links they provide for checking it do work. But it proves nothing. Draw details are always available afterwards. And it certainly doesn’t prove I had a winning ticket in that draw.
The message goes on about how to claim the winnings.-
“There is a VERIFICATION AND FUNDS RELEASE FORM” This asks for full name and address, gender, age, marital status, occupation, email address, telephone number. All useful information for identity theft, which is the purpose of the scam.
The email even has the cheek to state : “Occasionally, some programs and free email providers, including Hotmail and Yahoo wrongly identify our emails as spam. If you cannot find our subsequent email in your inbox, please check the location used to store junk mail and spam messages”.
All of this is just a scam made to look as genuine as they could,
But, if you win something on a lottery you didn’t enter then it is always a scam.
Listen to the Fightback Ninja telling all to James Pearce.
Brooklands Radio were running a 24 hour marathon programme to raise money for Woking and Same Beare Hospice and Fightback Ninja wanted to do his part to help.
Find out about Fightback Ninja’ s childhood and his favourite movies and cartoons.
So, what rubbish emails and calls have there been to Brooklands Radio station in the last few days?
A self proclaimed ‘Digital Marketing Expert’ named Anita wants to get us on the 1st page of Google. – But then she isn’t on the first page of Google for Search Engine Optimisation and she has a Hotmail address which means she’s just a lone worker. Waste of Time.
An email from Bryan – the mobile APP creator. He asks do we have an APP yet. If he was any good at his job he would have checked. He signs off with “A stuffing of your ideas with the salt of our expertise. Poof! Your gourmet mobile APP is ready to be served” – Amusing but pointless.
An email from ‘Breakfast Diet Foods’ titled ‘Do This Tonight To Make Fat Cells Self-Destruct”. The email is actually from search-new-deal.info so it’s just a lead generation company looking to get people to click on any rubbish so it can sell their details.
An email about pension led funding. It means raiding your own pension to fund your business.Dangerous. This is perfectly legal but high risk – if your business fails then you lose your pension as well.
Someone trying to sell access to 12,000 shed plans. Why would anyone want access to so many plans and why are there so many? – surely sheds are about the simplest buildings there are. The email is actually from got-your-details.info which tells you it’s another lead generation email. There probably are no shed plans – but if you click then they’ve got your details to sell.
These people just waste our time and clog up the Internet with rubbish.
Yes they can. A malicious piece of software called ransomware can be unintentionally installed on your computer and hold you to ransom for access to your own files.
