Lancashire email scam: What to do if you are targeted

Police in Lancashire are urging the public to be vigilant following reports of a scam involving email.
By The Newsroom
Published 22nd Oct 2018, 16:51 BST
Updated 22nd Oct 2018, 17:53 BST
Lancashire Police are asking people targeted by the scam to contact the fraud teamLancashire Police are asking people targeted by the scam to contact the fraud team
Lancashire Police are asking people targeted by the scam to contact the fraud team

In an email, the sender claims to have hacked the person's account and infected their computer with a Trojan virus, allowing them to access personal data.

The sender then asks for a payment to be sent in bitcoin within 48 hours in order to prevent the recipient's data and files being shared with other people in their contacts.

Anybody who has received a similar email should contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via www.actionfraud.police.uk