Even the police can be the victims of internet fraud, as an unwitting female constable found out last year

A policewoman’s error in judgement has resulted in a spam mail that has flooded her office with public inquiries – for the second time, according to Berlingske Tidende newspaper.

Last year, the unlucky constable with Mid and West Jutland Police inadvertently sent her digital signature out into cyberspace, and it was picked up by unknown scam artists. Since that time, two spam email ‘warnings’ about dangerous, virus-laden emails entitled 'POSTCARD FROM HALLMARK' have been sent around the country – one last year and another just recently.

The email warns recipients not to open it and not only refers to CNN and Microsoft alerts, but also carries the signature of the policewoman. Many receivers have therefore unwittingly opened the mail which itself contains a virus.

The constable’s phone has been bombarded by calls from residents about the email. Yet while the policewoman herself bore the brunt of the calls last year, calls about this second chain mail have been bounced to her co-workers, as she is on maternity leave.

But angry recipients of the email need not bother phoning the police station, as calls to the constable’s phone have been routed to a voice mail.