Have you recently received a warning that your computer may contain child pornography? Don’t be too quick to sign up for any repairs.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre warned on Wednesday that scareware messages saying your computer is associated with child pornography have been plaguing a number of computer users. The message also demands money to fix the problem, authorities said.
RCMP on Prince Edward Island told CBC News they have been receiving complaints about the scareware.
“Over the past couple of weeks, some Islanders have received pop-up messages on their computers claiming to be from the RCMP or CSIS or the Federal Government of Canada, and they state that the computer is involved somehow with child pornography,” said Sgt. Andrew Blackadar in an interview with the CBC.
Blackadar said that if people click on the pop-up message, it will actually lock up their computers.
The warning messages tell recipients to pay $100 via Ukash, an online payment site, so their computer can be unlocked.
If you’ve been “locked out” of your computer, it’s an indicator that your system may have been infected with malware and you will need to take steps to address the problem.
To protect yourself, the RCMP suggests you:
- Turn on your pop-up blocker.
- Keep your anti-virus software up to date.
- Shut down your computer if you encounter this message.