Police investigate cruel tsunami mails

Friends and relatives desperately seeking news of loved ones after the Asian tsunami have been plagued by hoax emails saying they are dead, British police have said.

Messages purportedly from government officials have been sent to people who placed appeals for information on the Sky News website.

Police said they were treating the matter as a “very serious crime” and have launched a full investigation.

A spokesman said: “The Metropolitan Police Service would like to reassure the public that these messages are hoaxes. The British government would not use email to convey news of the death of a loved one.

“Police are treating this as a very serious crime, and a full investigation has been launched.”

The hoax emails have all been sent from the same bogus e-mail address: [e-mail].

They claim to come from the “Foreign Office Bureau” in Thailand and state that the missing person has been confirmed dead.

Anyone receiving such an email has been advised to treat it with the “utmost caution”.

If caught, the hoaxers could face charges of malicious communication or causing a public nuisance.

In a statement Sky News said: “As soon as Sky News online was alerted to the fact that a hoaxer had been emailing some of those who had posted messages, pretending to be a British government official, it informed the Metropolitan Police and is actively co-operating with them. It also posted a story online to alert users.

“Prior to the hoax, Sky News warned users about possible abuse and has since reinforced this message.

“Sky is disgusted at the abuse of this messageboard, designed for friends and relatives caught up in the tsunami disaster.”