Smartphone owners warned about new ‘ransomware’ virus
Smartphone users are reportedly being urged to exercise caution following the emergence of a wave of criminal "ransomware" viruses designed to extort money from people by freezing and locking devices and then demanding payment to be unlocked.
Previously confined to personal computers the rogue software has now become a real problem in the mobile market, propagated by spam email attachments.
Once infected a pop-up message appears demanding payment to an offshore bank account in return for an unlock code, without which the device is rendered useless.
It is the latest in a growing wave of digital frauds being perpetrated on consumers and businesses with experts predicting that the UK economy could be hit by a £1.3tn bill arising from the crime by 2019.