TO PAY or not to pay a scam artist - that was the question faced this week by a Warwick business targeted by an overseas computer hacker.

As reported this week, the hacker infected the business with a computer virus which allowed it to hijack its entire data store, demanding $4000 for its release.

When the business owners were fobbed off by the Australian Federal Police and the Queensland Police computer crime unit, they took the tough decision to pay the ransom money, believing it to be cheaper and easier than trying to reconstruct 12 years' worth of data.

Their reluctant and risky move - which they have described as a "financial rather than moral" one - paid off yesterday morning after the so-called honest crook, thought to be based in China, sent decryption codes in exchange for the cash.

All of their data was successfully recovered - but more importantly the business owner has what she calls her "baby" back.

"I feel like I have my life back," the owner told the Daily News.

"The computer side of the business is what I have built and looked after

"We don't feel good helping an immoral crook, but when we recovered no support from the police we felt we had to go it alone.

"It was against their advice to pay and obviously we don't relish it, but we made a financial decision in the interests of our business."

In a dramatic 24-hour period ending at 9am yesterday, the business owner arranged for the money to be transferred through a series of international bank transactions, insisted on by the hacker to avoid being traced by authorities.

In a final ironic twist, the merciless scammer nobly accepted an "apology" from the business when the final money transfer came in at $3900 after fees and exchange rate differences.

He had earlier offered to make their IT system "un-hackable" - for a $10,000 fee.

His request was firmly refused.

Late on Wednesday afternoon a skilled technician from a Warwick IT business contracted by the scam victims received codes and passwords from the hacker, with whom he had been in constant contact over several days.

With a massive amount of data at stake the decryption software was run overnight, with little sleep for the anxious owners who on arriving at work the next morning found a message on the screen that the process was complete.

The business owner said she hoped no other local firms were hit but said it would be their call to pay up.

"I can't say how I'd advise anyone else to deal; with the same situation, they would have to decide for themselves," she said.

"I just want to warn other businesses - please, go and see your IT specialist and invest some of your budget in security upgrades.

"This has cost us a lot more than just the ransom, but it could have been worse."

The business owner said they were satisfied additional security measures now taken to stop the hacker from re-targeting them would be adequate.

Internet scams 'concerning'

The Daily News asked Police Minister Jack Dempsey to comment on the business owner's disappointment with the service's response and was initially told by a spokeswoman the matter was "operational".

But Mr Dempsey did release a statement late yesterday in which he said it was "very concerning to see any Queensland business targeted by internet scams such as this".

"Queensland Police Service officers across the state work hard on these matters and are supported by the Hi Tech Operations Unit which is based in Brisbane.

"Computer users should always back up their information, use complicated passwords and never store their passwords on their computer."

A spokesman for Police Media said late yesterday they were still awaiting advice from the Brisbane-based officers who were notified of the scam.