New online scam in Peel

The Peel police technological crimes unit is warning of a new online scam.

They’ve had a number of calls from people whose computers suddenly locked, followed by a warning on the screen advising them they’ve committed a crime.

To unlock their computers, the user is told to send $100 to a specific address.

Police say the warning is the result of the computer becoming infected with malware, possibly by clicking a link in an email or opening an email attachment.