The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary Fraud Safeguarding Team issued an urgent warning to people in Portsmouth, Hampshire, on February 13, 2026, about a clever email scam targeting Gmail users. The warning was sent out through Hampshire Alert to help local residents and internet users avoid losing their personal data or money.
Fraudsters are sending messages that look like official security notices from Google. These emails claim that a “subpoena” or court order has been issued to access your account and ask you to click a link to view legal documents. The consumer group Which? found that the emails are disguised using “email spoofing” to look like they come from a real Google address, such as [email protected], to trick people into trusting them.
Once a person clicks the link, they are taken to a fake website designed to look like a help page. This site is set up to steal account passwords and financial information. This warning is part of a month-long safety project called #FraudFree2026, which is being led by the Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, to protect residents from online theft.
Police advise that you should never click on links in emails that claim you are involved in a legal case. If you receive a message like this, you should forward it to the official reporting service at [email protected]. If you have already shared your details with the scammers, you should contact Action Fraud immediately to report the fraud.
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