Scammers are blackmailing residents into handing over money by claiming they have recordings of them using porn websites.

The victim will be emailed and told that malware has been inserted onto their device which allows them to access internal cameras.

The recipient will then be threatened and told unless they pay a ransom, videos of them watching porn will be sent to all their contacts on Facebook, Messenger and email.

The victim will often be told they have one day to pay the money which adds additional pressure to the situation.

A spokesman for the Met Police Aldborough Hatch Safer Neighbourhood Team advised residents not to reply to the email.

"Change your passwords regularly and don't use the same password for multiple sites," he said. "Consider using password generators to make it easy and review any suspicious emails and mark them as spam.

"If anyone receives this type of email, they should create a report by visiting the Action Fraud website."

Action Fraud warned residents not to be "pressured into paying" the demand.

The cybercrime reporting organisation said by giving in to the ransom it highlights that you are vulnerable and you could be targeted again.

It also suspects that the fraudsters may have gained victim's passwords from an old data breach.

After running some of the victims' email addresses through Haveibeenpwned.com, a website that allows people to check if their account has been compromised in a data breach, Action Fraud found that almost all of the accounts were at risk.

It is advising residents to install the latest software and app updates, anti-virus software and keep them up to date.

If also encourages internet users to pick unrelated passwords for important accounts and enable Two-Factor Authentication, where available.

Perform password resets as soon as possible on any accounts where you've used the password mentioned in the email. Always use a strong, separate password for important accounts, such as your email. Where available, enable Two-Factor Authentication (

"If you have received one of these emails and paid the fine, report it to your local police force," an Action Fraud spokesman said.

"If you have not paid, report the email as a phishing attempt to Action Fraud."

For more information visit actionfraud.police.uk or call 03001232040