European Cybercrime Centre warns internet users of growing ransomware cases

Police ransomware is a type of online fraud, wherein criminals create malicious software or malware that locks up a user’s system and displays warnings purported to be from law enforcement agencies on a user’s computer. These warnings often constitute messages claiming that the user is engaged in online activities such as illegal file-sharing, accessing child abuse material, or visiting terrorist websites, thereby forcing victims to pay ransoms to get their computers unlocked.

According to Head of the European Cybercrime Centre at Europol, Troels Oerting, cited by online media outlet Techie News, malware attacks in the form of ransomware will unfortunately increase. It is a cash cow for criminal enterprises, easy to use and difficult for victims to protect against. All kinds of innocent users are potential victims of this crime – not just mainstream users but also businesses and public services.

EC3 will continue to assist EU member states’ law enforcement agencies in combating this crime and tracing the criminal proceeds.