Gardaí warn about scam emails telling people their computer will be seized

Stock image.

Eoghan Moloney

June 15 2022 06:41 PM

Gardaí are warning the public about an email scam in which fraudsters, pretending to be An Garda Síochána, are telling people their computer is to be seized in relation to investigations they are conducting.

The current scam by fraudsters sees an email being sent to an individual stating their computer is to be seized in relation to investigations into issues such as child pornography, paedophilia, cyber pornography or sex trafficking.

In a statement, gardaí said they were advising the public that they do not, and will not make contact with a person under investigation in this way.

“We would urge anybody who has received similar correspondence and has any concern about it to contact their local garda station for advice,” the statement said.

Gardaí also appealed to any person who may have inadvertently or otherwise engaged with this scam, or any similar scam, and subsequently been a victim of this type of fraud to report it to their local garda station

In the statement, gardaí said they would like to remind the public of the following fraud prevention advice:

Don’t respond to any unsolicited email seeking personal, financial or security advice;
Never click on a link or attachment in an unsolicited email;
If you believe the email is from a genuine source, verify this independently
Independently verify any requests for information and never use the contact details supplied to you by the caller or texter

Further fraud prevention advice can be found here: https://www.garda.ie/en/crime/fraud/