Gardaí scam alert about email from fraudsters accusing recipients of serious crimes

The public is being warned about an email-based scam from fraudsters masquerading as Gardaí. 

The current scam involves an individual receiving an email that appears to be from An Garda Síochána, accusing the individual of being subject to ongoing legal proceedings regarding a number of serious offences. 

The email states: 

"Following investigations and analyses by our cybercrime investigators on the national network, traces of your identification data have been found and you are the subject of several ongoing legal proceedings: Child pornography, pornographic websites, cyber pornography and paedophilia. 

"You have 72 hours to contact us immediately. If there is no response from you, we will be obliged to forward our report to the public prosecutor's office, so that a warrant can be issued for your arrest and forwarded to the police station nearest to your place of residence. 

"You will also be registered as a sex offender and your case will be publicised on several television channels and in the newspapers." 

Gardaí have confirmed they will never contact a person in this manner.