Hackers hold Travelex to ransom

Hackers are holding Travelex, the foreign exchange company, to ransom after a cyber-attack forced it to turn off all computer systems across thousands of its sites.

On New Year's Eve, hackers launched their attack on the Travelex network and the company had to take down its websites across 30 countries to contain "the virus and protect data".

The hackers demanded payment in exchange for allowing the firm to regain access to its systems and to preserve its customers' data.

According to the BBC, the cyber-criminals had set a deadline for payment.

The Metropolitan Police was leading the investigation into the attack.

In a statement, the force said: "On Thursday, 2 January, the Met's Cyber Crime Team were contacted with regards to a reported ransomware attack involving a foreign currency exchange. Enquiries into the circumstances are ongoing."

The company was working with the police and its IT specialists were trying to find a way around the attack.

Customers were not sent any email communication concerning the cyber-attack with the UK website only saying that 'planned maintenance' was ongoing.