'Ransomware' tricks victims into paying hefty fines

I didn't see a security news section here like one over at seven so I'll post this here.

Beware of this new scam...

Computer users around the globe are being hit by a new kind of virus that freezes their computer and accuses them of committing heinous crimes, like distributing child porn. The threats sound real enough that victims are coughing up $200 to pay a "fine," and virus writer gangs are netting millions, security firms say.

The message that flashes across infected computer screens sounds downright scary:

"You have been viewing or distributing child porn ... violating article 202 of the Criminal Code of the United States of America," says one version, allegedly sent by the FBI. A virus victim supplied the message to NBC news.

scam message.jpg

Victims shouldn't pay the fine, Harrison said, but they should know that various software tools — including free tools available at Symantec — can rid their machines of the virus.

Source: 'Ransomware' tricks victims into paying hefty fines - Red Tape
 
The part of 72 hours is very direct ... lol ...

:busted:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10.0.10122
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    My Build - Vorttex Ultimate
    CPU
    Core i7 @ 4500 MHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS Z87-Plus
    Memory
    32GB DDR3 @ 1822 MHz (OC)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon R9 280X 3GB @ 1180 / 6800 MHz
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    7.1 HDA
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LCD LG 22" + CRT LG 17"
    Screen Resolution
    1760 x 1320 / 1280 x 960
    Hard Drives
    1 x 240 GB SSD (System)
    3 x 500 GB HDD (Data/Media)
    1 x 2000 GB e-HDD (Backup)
    PSU
    ThermalTake 1000W PSU
    Case
    Corsair Carbide R300
    Cooling
    Corsair H60 (Push-Pull)
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Wireless Keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Wireless Mouse
    Internet Speed
    60 Mbps (Down) 5 Mbps (Up)
    Browser
    IE, FF, Chrome
    Antivirus
    AVG Internet Security 2015
    Other Info
    Some wired stuff
The best way to stop these in their tracks is NOT to click anything with your mouse or keyboard, not even the 'X' if there is one, but to do a hard power-off. I.E. use the power switch.

OK you'll lose whatever you were working on and any unsaved projects, but better that than having your vital personal data locked down or even stolen.

Then reboot into Safe Mode and initiate System Restore to before this all started.

Then use something like Malwarebytes Free and/or Hijackthis or DDS. The latter to post logs on one the forums specialising in those sorts of logs.

Many of these ransomware pests have excellent removal guides online, particularly at BleepingComputer forums, just do an online search for "uninstall xxxxxx (the name of it)" - minus the "" of course.

Most people end up in a disaster because they panic and try to click their way out of trouble. That is a definite no-no.

By the way, there is nothing new about these things. They've been around for quite some time now.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 7 Ult SP1 + Win 10 Pro - (x64)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware® ALX X58
    CPU
    Intel® Core i7-975 Extreme 3.86 GHz 8MB Cache
    Motherboard
    ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 Socket 1366 Core i7, Dual Triple Channel DDR3 Mem
    Memory
    24GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz - 6 x 4096MB
    Graphics Card(s)
    1792 MB NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 295/Hauppauge HVR2250 TV Tuner
    Sound Card
    Onboard Soundmax® High definition Sound
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung XL2370 LED
    Screen Resolution
    1920 X 1080P
    Hard Drives
    2 X 500gb SATA
    1 X 1TB SATA
    1 X 3TB external eSATA
    (Non-RAID)
    PSU
    Alienware® 1200 Watt Multi-GPU
    Case
    Alienware® P2 ALX Chassis with AlienIce 3.0 Video Cooling
    Cooling
    Alienware® High-Perf. Liquid Cooling + Acoustic Dampening
    Keyboard
    Microsoft® Wireless Entertainment 8000 + Logitech® G15 Wired
    Mouse
    Microsoft® Wireless Laser 8000 + Logitech® G9 Wired
    Internet Speed
    1tbs
    Other Info
    Using non-RAID on purpose as I find it too fussy and temperamental.
The part of 72 hours is very direct ... lol ...

:busted:

The worst part is that it will not be gone after that period even if you paid.
bustedgrin.gif

The best way to stop these in their tracks is NOT to click anything with your mouse or keyboard, not even the 'X' if there is one, but to do a hard power-off. I.E. use the power switch.

OK you'll lose whatever you were working on and any unsaved projects, but better that than having your vital personal data locked down or even stolen.

Then reboot into Safe Mode and initiate System Restore to before this all started.

Try to "end task" all of your browser(s) instances in Task Manager. If you get it done, you can still save your work before restoring, or maybe restore is not needed, wipe the cookies and temp files with CCleaner...

If it's really severe, instead of Malware Bytes and other cleaners, I prefer to format the disk directly and restore by using a weekly-made clean image of the OS.

Luckily I never got any ransom-ware because the PC is used thoroughly on decent sites. But when I get one, I see what has to be done.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 x64
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy DV6 7250
    CPU
    Intel i7-3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP, Intel HM77 Express Chipset
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD4000 + Nvidia Geforce 630M
    Sound Card
    IDT HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6' built-in + Samsung S22D300 + 17.3' LG Phillips
    Screen Resolution
    multiple resolutions
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 250GB + Hitachi HDD 750GB
    PSU
    120W adapter
    Case
    small
    Cooling
    laptop cooling pad
    Keyboard
    Backlit built-in + big one in USB
    Mouse
    SteelSeries Sensei
    Internet Speed
    slow and steady
    Browser
    Chromium, Pale Moon, Firefox Developer Edition
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    That's basically it.
The part of 72 hours is very direct ... lol ...

:busted:

The worst part is that it will not be gone after that period even if you paid.
View attachment 20946

The best way to stop these in their tracks is NOT to click anything with your mouse or keyboard, not even the 'X' if there is one, but to do a hard power-off. I.E. use the power switch.

OK you'll lose whatever you were working on and any unsaved projects, but better that than having your vital personal data locked down or even stolen.

Then reboot into Safe Mode and initiate System Restore to before this all started.

Try to "end task" all of your browser(s) instances in Task Manager. If you get it done, you can still save your work before restoring, or maybe restore is not needed, wipe the cookies and temp files with CCleaner...

If it's really severe, instead of Malware Bytes and other cleaners, I prefer to format the disk directly and restore by using a weekly-made clean image of the OS.

Luckily I never got any ransom-ware because the PC is used thoroughly on decent sites. But when I get one, I see what has to be done.


Good idea.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 7 Ult SP1 + Win 10 Pro - (x64)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware® ALX X58
    CPU
    Intel® Core i7-975 Extreme 3.86 GHz 8MB Cache
    Motherboard
    ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 Socket 1366 Core i7, Dual Triple Channel DDR3 Mem
    Memory
    24GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz - 6 x 4096MB
    Graphics Card(s)
    1792 MB NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 295/Hauppauge HVR2250 TV Tuner
    Sound Card
    Onboard Soundmax® High definition Sound
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung XL2370 LED
    Screen Resolution
    1920 X 1080P
    Hard Drives
    2 X 500gb SATA
    1 X 1TB SATA
    1 X 3TB external eSATA
    (Non-RAID)
    PSU
    Alienware® 1200 Watt Multi-GPU
    Case
    Alienware® P2 ALX Chassis with AlienIce 3.0 Video Cooling
    Cooling
    Alienware® High-Perf. Liquid Cooling + Acoustic Dampening
    Keyboard
    Microsoft® Wireless Entertainment 8000 + Logitech® G15 Wired
    Mouse
    Microsoft® Wireless Laser 8000 + Logitech® G9 Wired
    Internet Speed
    1tbs
    Other Info
    Using non-RAID on purpose as I find it too fussy and temperamental.
I'm of the common sense mold - be aware of your surroundings, just like you should if you were in the streets, and definitely don't download from strange or unknown sites. If being re-directed, make sure you pay attention of where you are, and if it looks strange, get out of there.

By the way, though being defrauded has been around since man, I'm sure I'm sure the level of sophistication has increased with the level of technology - thus the "this is nothing new" isn't necessarily true.

In short, though being scammed or being defrauded is nothing new, the level of sophistication is constantly reaching new highs.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom built by me
    CPU
    Haswell i7-4770K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte G1 Sniper 5 (BIOS F9)
    Memory
    Corsair Dominator Platinum 32 gig (1866MHz)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Sapphire R9-280 Vapor X
    Sound Card
    Soundblaster ZXR
    Monitor(s) Displays
    NEC PA242W - 24 inch
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 512gig 850 Pro SSD (OS), Samsung 256gig 840 Pro SSD (photo editing), Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB HD
    PSU
    EVGA Supernova 1000 G2
    Case
    Cooler Master HAF X
    Cooling
    Corsair H100i Closed Loop Cooler
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech Performance MX
    Internet Speed
    High Speed
    Browser
    IE11
    Antivirus
    Norton Security
    Other Info
    RAM Speed: 1866MHZ @ 9-10-10-27-2T, 1.5v
I'm of the common sense mold - be aware of your surroundings, just like you should if you were in the streets, and definitely don't download from strange or unknown sites. If being re-directed, make sure you pay attention of where you are, and if it looks strange, get out of there.

By the way, though being defrauded has been around since man, I'm sure I'm sure the level of sophistication has increased with the level of technology - thus the "this is nothing new" isn't necessarily true.

In short, though being scammed or being defrauded is nothing new, the level of sophistication is constantly reaching new highs.

Totally agree.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 x64
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy DV6 7250
    CPU
    Intel i7-3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP, Intel HM77 Express Chipset
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD4000 + Nvidia Geforce 630M
    Sound Card
    IDT HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6' built-in + Samsung S22D300 + 17.3' LG Phillips
    Screen Resolution
    multiple resolutions
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 250GB + Hitachi HDD 750GB
    PSU
    120W adapter
    Case
    small
    Cooling
    laptop cooling pad
    Keyboard
    Backlit built-in + big one in USB
    Mouse
    SteelSeries Sensei
    Internet Speed
    slow and steady
    Browser
    Chromium, Pale Moon, Firefox Developer Edition
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    That's basically it.
Good info. Thanks for posting. :thumb:

I just worked an acquaintance's computer I recently met at a local veterans club. He admittedly says he uses porn. His right to, but he caught this nasty thing.

Ctrl/Alt/Delete didn't work for Task Manager wouldn't open. WinKey/D no go. There was no way to get past this screen. I finally hard reset and got into safe mode to finally start taking it back to a good restore point. Then ran AV which showed nothing.

A $(undisclosed) lesson. :( We play, we pay.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1 Pro X64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer T690
    CPU
    Intel Pentium D Dual Core
    Motherboard
    Acer/Intel E946GZ
    Memory
    2GB (max upgrade)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3000 - PCI Express x16
    Sound Card
    Integrated RealTek ALC888 high-definition audio with 7.1 channel audio support
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer AL1917W A LCD
    Screen Resolution
    1440 X 900
    Hard Drives
    350 GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10
    Thumb drives
    PSU
    Standard 250 watt
    Case
    Desktop 7.2" (183mm) W x 17.5" (445mm) L x 14.5"
    Cooling
    Dual case fans + CPU fan
    Keyboard
    Acer Windows PS/2
    Mouse
    Wireless Microsoft Arc
    Internet Speed
    54mbp/s
    Browser
    IE11
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    Office Pro 2013 / Nokia Lumia 1520 Windows Phone 8.1DP GDR1
If you temporarily disable System Restore, that bad restore point will be gone.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 7 Ult SP1 + Win 10 Pro - (x64)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware® ALX X58
    CPU
    Intel® Core i7-975 Extreme 3.86 GHz 8MB Cache
    Motherboard
    ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 Socket 1366 Core i7, Dual Triple Channel DDR3 Mem
    Memory
    24GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz - 6 x 4096MB
    Graphics Card(s)
    1792 MB NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 295/Hauppauge HVR2250 TV Tuner
    Sound Card
    Onboard Soundmax® High definition Sound
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung XL2370 LED
    Screen Resolution
    1920 X 1080P
    Hard Drives
    2 X 500gb SATA
    1 X 1TB SATA
    1 X 3TB external eSATA
    (Non-RAID)
    PSU
    Alienware® 1200 Watt Multi-GPU
    Case
    Alienware® P2 ALX Chassis with AlienIce 3.0 Video Cooling
    Cooling
    Alienware® High-Perf. Liquid Cooling + Acoustic Dampening
    Keyboard
    Microsoft® Wireless Entertainment 8000 + Logitech® G15 Wired
    Mouse
    Microsoft® Wireless Laser 8000 + Logitech® G9 Wired
    Internet Speed
    1tbs
    Other Info
    Using non-RAID on purpose as I find it too fussy and temperamental.
I've had the misfortune of recovering from one of those infections on a friends PC. I did two or three scans with stand alone bootable media before I could actually get back in and recover her files. I did a factory restore after that and copied her files back. Nasty, nasty stuff to deal with. Her laptop wouldn't even boot in safe mode and task manager wouldn't run.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1 Pro X64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer T690
    CPU
    Intel Pentium D Dual Core
    Motherboard
    Acer/Intel E946GZ
    Memory
    2GB (max upgrade)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3000 - PCI Express x16
    Sound Card
    Integrated RealTek ALC888 high-definition audio with 7.1 channel audio support
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer AL1917W A LCD
    Screen Resolution
    1440 X 900
    Hard Drives
    350 GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10
    Thumb drives
    PSU
    Standard 250 watt
    Case
    Desktop 7.2" (183mm) W x 17.5" (445mm) L x 14.5"
    Cooling
    Dual case fans + CPU fan
    Keyboard
    Acer Windows PS/2
    Mouse
    Wireless Microsoft Arc
    Internet Speed
    54mbp/s
    Browser
    IE11
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    Office Pro 2013 / Nokia Lumia 1520 Windows Phone 8.1DP GDR1
I've had the misfortune of recovering from one of those infections on a friends PC. I did two or three scans with stand alone bootable media before I could actually get back in and recover her files. I did a factory restore after that and copied her files back. Nasty, nasty stuff to deal with. Her laptop wouldn't even boot in safe mode and task manager wouldn't run.

I'm sure the thugs keep adding to this thing to make it more nasty. I think it took me 3 tries to get it into Safe Mode. I wondered why it wouldn't the first few. I remember doing a bid "whew" when it did. Then I knew I'd get somewhere. :D
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1 Pro X64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer T690
    CPU
    Intel Pentium D Dual Core
    Motherboard
    Acer/Intel E946GZ
    Memory
    2GB (max upgrade)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3000 - PCI Express x16
    Sound Card
    Integrated RealTek ALC888 high-definition audio with 7.1 channel audio support
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer AL1917W A LCD
    Screen Resolution
    1440 X 900
    Hard Drives
    350 GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10
    Thumb drives
    PSU
    Standard 250 watt
    Case
    Desktop 7.2" (183mm) W x 17.5" (445mm) L x 14.5"
    Cooling
    Dual case fans + CPU fan
    Keyboard
    Acer Windows PS/2
    Mouse
    Wireless Microsoft Arc
    Internet Speed
    54mbp/s
    Browser
    IE11
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    Office Pro 2013 / Nokia Lumia 1520 Windows Phone 8.1DP GDR1
Shame that happened. Sometimes things don't work out, it's unfortunate.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 7 Ult SP1 + Win 10 Pro - (x64)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware® ALX X58
    CPU
    Intel® Core i7-975 Extreme 3.86 GHz 8MB Cache
    Motherboard
    ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 Socket 1366 Core i7, Dual Triple Channel DDR3 Mem
    Memory
    24GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz - 6 x 4096MB
    Graphics Card(s)
    1792 MB NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 295/Hauppauge HVR2250 TV Tuner
    Sound Card
    Onboard Soundmax® High definition Sound
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung XL2370 LED
    Screen Resolution
    1920 X 1080P
    Hard Drives
    2 X 500gb SATA
    1 X 1TB SATA
    1 X 3TB external eSATA
    (Non-RAID)
    PSU
    Alienware® 1200 Watt Multi-GPU
    Case
    Alienware® P2 ALX Chassis with AlienIce 3.0 Video Cooling
    Cooling
    Alienware® High-Perf. Liquid Cooling + Acoustic Dampening
    Keyboard
    Microsoft® Wireless Entertainment 8000 + Logitech® G15 Wired
    Mouse
    Microsoft® Wireless Laser 8000 + Logitech® G9 Wired
    Internet Speed
    1tbs
    Other Info
    Using non-RAID on purpose as I find it too fussy and temperamental.
Ctrl/Alt/Delete didn't work for Task Manager wouldn't open. WinKey/D no go. There was no way to get past this screen. I finally hard reset and got into safe mode to finally start taking it back to a good restore point. Then ran AV which showed nothing.

So from what I'm reading thus far this isn't easy to remedy should someone catch it?

I just worked an acquaintance's computer I recently met at a local veterans club. He admittedly says he uses porn. His right to, but he caught this nasty thing.( We play, we pay.

Yeah I guess if you visit sites like that, or worse, you may be "more" vulnerable to this sort of thing. Not saying they deserved it, just saying that I would think sites like those are more vulnerable to this sort of crap; though it can happen to anyone who just happens to open a nefarious file or visit a strange site.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom built by me
    CPU
    Haswell i7-4770K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte G1 Sniper 5 (BIOS F9)
    Memory
    Corsair Dominator Platinum 32 gig (1866MHz)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Sapphire R9-280 Vapor X
    Sound Card
    Soundblaster ZXR
    Monitor(s) Displays
    NEC PA242W - 24 inch
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 512gig 850 Pro SSD (OS), Samsung 256gig 840 Pro SSD (photo editing), Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB HD
    PSU
    EVGA Supernova 1000 G2
    Case
    Cooler Master HAF X
    Cooling
    Corsair H100i Closed Loop Cooler
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech Performance MX
    Internet Speed
    High Speed
    Browser
    IE11
    Antivirus
    Norton Security
    Other Info
    RAM Speed: 1866MHZ @ 9-10-10-27-2T, 1.5v
Ctrl/Alt/Delete didn't work for Task Manager wouldn't open. WinKey/D no go. There was no way to get past this screen. I finally hard reset and got into safe mode to finally start taking it back to a good restore point. Then ran AV which showed nothing.

So from what I'm reading thus far this isn't easy to remedy should someone catch it?

I just worked an acquaintance's computer I recently met at a local veterans club. He admittedly says he uses porn. His right to, but he caught this nasty thing.( We play, we pay.

Yeah I guess if you visit sites like that, or worse, you may be "more" vulnerable to this sort of thing. Not saying they deserved it, just saying that I would think sites like those are more vulnerable to this sort of crap; though it can happen to anyone who just happens to open a nefarious file or visit a strange site.

It's a bear for one can't get past the screen. It even hides the Task Bar. It's full screen. I don't think it locks the system up, but rather hides the desktop so as not to get to it and blocks commands. This was in 7. I don't know about 8.

Maybe lucky, but my way of hard reset and getting into Safe Mode worked. Perhaps by now they blocked that as well? If that be the case, perhaps a bootable AV scanner will do the trick. I'm sure MS is onto this thing by now.

I don't visit such sites, nor would I promote them, but it is legal as long as performed under local laws and people have their rights if they so choose.

LOL! Even if I did, at my age I don't think I'd get my gun out of the holster before it went off! :p
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1 Pro X64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer T690
    CPU
    Intel Pentium D Dual Core
    Motherboard
    Acer/Intel E946GZ
    Memory
    2GB (max upgrade)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3000 - PCI Express x16
    Sound Card
    Integrated RealTek ALC888 high-definition audio with 7.1 channel audio support
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer AL1917W A LCD
    Screen Resolution
    1440 X 900
    Hard Drives
    350 GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10
    Thumb drives
    PSU
    Standard 250 watt
    Case
    Desktop 7.2" (183mm) W x 17.5" (445mm) L x 14.5"
    Cooling
    Dual case fans + CPU fan
    Keyboard
    Acer Windows PS/2
    Mouse
    Wireless Microsoft Arc
    Internet Speed
    54mbp/s
    Browser
    IE11
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    Office Pro 2013 / Nokia Lumia 1520 Windows Phone 8.1DP GDR1
So they finally went global and crossed the ocean to the USA. This scam has been going around here in The Netherlands for almost TWO years now!!! Only it is not the Department of Justice but the Dutch Police that tells you that you've been naughty.

It's sad that people still fall for this scam...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro x64 Media Center Edition
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Made
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 750
    Memory
    6 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD HD 7750
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Iiyama ProLite B2481HS-B1
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1x 120 GB SSD Samsung 830;
    1x 1.5 TB HDD Seagate;
    1x 2 TB HDD Western Digital;
    1x 3 TB HDD Seagate
    1x 80 GB SSD Vertex 2
    PSU
    Corsair CX 600
    Case
    Corsair Carbide 300R with Side Window
    Cooling
    Intel RTS2011 LC
    Keyboard
    DasKeyboard (blue switches)
    Mouse
    Wacom Baboo Tablet Pen & Touch
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbit FullDuplex Fiberglass
    Browser
    IE11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    I also own the following Microsoft devices:
    * Surface Pro 2 128 GB
    * Windows Phone HTC 8X
I would like to ask which browser(s) were in use when this nasty was caught from people who have experienced/fixed them?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP COMPAQ Presario CQ57
    CPU
    AMD E- 300 APU with Radion HD Graphics 1.30GHz
    Motherboard
    inbuilt
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI
    Sound Card
    High Definition Audio on-board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    notebook
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    Seagate ST9500325AS
    Google drive 15GB
    Skydrive 25GB
    BT Cloud
    PSU
    external 20v
    Case
    Laptop
    Cooling
    pretty good
    Keyboard
    inbuilt
    Mouse
    touchpad
    Internet Speed
    BT Infinity Unlimited - 80 up 20 down =70/16 really
    Browser
    Chrome Canary usually
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender and Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    no Start menu modifications
    Upgraded with no issues to 8.0 and to 8.1
I received an email with a somewhat similar message a few years back. At First I started to panic thinking maybe someone hacked into my wireless router and was surfing illegal porn sites. Then a thought came to me. If this was true they wouldn't send emails. They would be knocking my doors off their hinges, placing me in handcuffs, and taking my computer as evidence. I deleted the email and never received any more. I will admit it is scarey at first.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP ENVY 700-074
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 4430 @ 3.00 GHz
    Motherboard
    MS-7826 (Kaili)
    Memory
    12 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GeForce GT 740
    Sound Card
    Integrated IDT 92HD68E2 Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung S27C230B
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    240 GB Kingston SSDNow V300 Series
    PSU
    stock
    Case
    stock
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    Logitech K520
    Mouse
    Logitech M310
    Browser
    Fire Fox
    Antivirus
    Eset Smart Security 7
Ctrl/Alt/Delete didn't work for Task Manager wouldn't open. WinKey/D no go. There was no way to get past this screen. I finally hard reset and got into safe mode to finally start taking it back to a good restore point. Then ran AV which showed nothing.

So from what I'm reading thus far this isn't easy to remedy should someone catch it?

I just worked an acquaintance's computer I recently met at a local veterans club. He admittedly says he uses porn. His right to, but he caught this nasty thing.( We play, we pay.

Yeah I guess if you visit sites like that, or worse, you may be "more" vulnerable to this sort of thing. Not saying they deserved it, just saying that I would think sites like those are more vulnerable to this sort of crap; though it can happen to anyone who just happens to open a nefarious file or visit a strange site.

It's a bear for one can't get past the screen. It even hides the Task Bar. It's full screen. I don't think it locks the system up, but rather hides the desktop so as not to get to it and blocks commands. This was in 7. I don't know about 8.

Maybe lucky, but my way of hard reset and getting into Safe Mode worked. Perhaps by now they blocked that as well? If that be the case, perhaps a bootable AV scanner will do the trick. I'm sure MS is onto this thing by now.

I don't visit such sites, nor would I promote them, but it is legal as long as performed under local laws and people have their rights if they so choose.

LOL! Even if I did, at my age I don't think I'd get my gun out of the holster before it went off! :p

That's pretty well exactly what faced me, it was full screen with no way to get past it. I used Windows Defender stand alone booted from a USB thumb drive to finally get to the actual desktop. Things were still pretty messed up and I couldn't do a lot of stuff as things were still locked out. I managed to copy her documents etc to an external drive and then do a factory restore. It probably the worst infection I've had to clean up.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
So it's more difficult than I thought, no Ctrl Alt Delete, Task Manager settings... Since I never encountered it I don't know the difficulty level.
RESET - FORMAT/RESTORE remains the safest way in the end.

I don't trust cleaners. If this thing is really complex and well-made, it might trick some cleaners/AV and restore/copy itself back to positions in no time. Should you still use a network or internet connection then it even gets worse. Removing the network connection/cable or stop wifi is the first thing to do after you see the warning screen.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 x64
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy DV6 7250
    CPU
    Intel i7-3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP, Intel HM77 Express Chipset
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD4000 + Nvidia Geforce 630M
    Sound Card
    IDT HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6' built-in + Samsung S22D300 + 17.3' LG Phillips
    Screen Resolution
    multiple resolutions
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 250GB + Hitachi HDD 750GB
    PSU
    120W adapter
    Case
    small
    Cooling
    laptop cooling pad
    Keyboard
    Backlit built-in + big one in USB
    Mouse
    SteelSeries Sensei
    Internet Speed
    slow and steady
    Browser
    Chromium, Pale Moon, Firefox Developer Edition
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    That's basically it.
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