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Ransomware is a particularly distressing type of malware that creates a pop-up blocking all access to your machine for alleged illegal activities. Learn how to spot it here. If you've been a victim, don't pay the fine as this probably won't unlock your PC anyway, and the money will just go to criminals. Report it to Action Fraud.
Helpdesk Challenge – how to spot a ransomware scam
by Rich Parris, Deputy Computing Editor Computing Helpdesk 06/04/2013
Ransomware is a particularly distressing type of malware that creates a pop-up blocking all access to your machine unless you pay a fine for alleged illegal activities.
It’s designed to cause panic and alarm, locking your PC out of the blue, before demanding payment to make your system usable again.
Security software reviews - read our expert reviews of the best anti-virus protection.
How to spot a ransomware scam
Below is an example of a typical ransomware scam. The pop-up message appears on your PC, obscuring everything else and preventing you from using any programs. It accuses you of committing illegal online activity and orders you to pay a fine in order to use your computer again.
Hover over the red circles for explanations on how this scam works:
The software often claims to be from a local police authority or even the FBI. The message may have a veneer of authority, such as imagery of police logos, but there’s nothing official about it.
The scams often claim to have found evidence of illegal pornography on the computer, embarrassing targets into paying the stated fine.
In our example above, a huge catalogue of alleged crimes has been listed. However, in reality, no one who had committed any of these crimes would be let off with a fine paid online.
The ransomware message typically demands payment in the form of a voucher from a company such as Ukash, because these don’t leave a trace, unlike regular online bank transfers.
What you should do if your PC is infected with ransomware
You can avoid the scam as you would any malware, by keeping your security software up-to-date.
Whatever you do, never pay the ‘fine’, even if you can’t access your PC. You’ll be putting money into criminal pockets and the payment may not unlock your PC anyway.
If you’ve been affected, you can usually remove the ransomware from your system by running a recovery tool, such as the free download Norton Power Eraser.
However, because your computer is locked, you may need to use another machine to download the program, then save it to a USB stick and run it on your computer after starting it up in Safe Mode.
More on this…
Ransomware is a particularly distressing type of malware that creates a pop-up blocking all access to your machine for alleged illegal activities. Learn how to spot it here. If you've been a victim, don't pay the fine as this probably won't unlock your PC anyway, and the money will just go to criminals. Report it to Action Fraud.
Helpdesk Challenge – how to spot a ransomware scam
by Rich Parris, Deputy Computing Editor Computing Helpdesk 06/04/2013
Ransomware is a particularly distressing type of malware that creates a pop-up blocking all access to your machine unless you pay a fine for alleged illegal activities.
It’s designed to cause panic and alarm, locking your PC out of the blue, before demanding payment to make your system usable again.
Security software reviews - read our expert reviews of the best anti-virus protection.
How to spot a ransomware scam
Below is an example of a typical ransomware scam. The pop-up message appears on your PC, obscuring everything else and preventing you from using any programs. It accuses you of committing illegal online activity and orders you to pay a fine in order to use your computer again.
Hover over the red circles for explanations on how this scam works:
The software often claims to be from a local police authority or even the FBI. The message may have a veneer of authority, such as imagery of police logos, but there’s nothing official about it.
The scams often claim to have found evidence of illegal pornography on the computer, embarrassing targets into paying the stated fine.
In our example above, a huge catalogue of alleged crimes has been listed. However, in reality, no one who had committed any of these crimes would be let off with a fine paid online.
The ransomware message typically demands payment in the form of a voucher from a company such as Ukash, because these don’t leave a trace, unlike regular online bank transfers.
What you should do if your PC is infected with ransomware
You can avoid the scam as you would any malware, by keeping your security software up-to-date.
Whatever you do, never pay the ‘fine’, even if you can’t access your PC. You’ll be putting money into criminal pockets and the payment may not unlock your PC anyway.
If you’ve been affected, you can usually remove the ransomware from your system by running a recovery tool, such as the free download Norton Power Eraser.
However, because your computer is locked, you may need to use another machine to download the program, then save it to a USB stick and run it on your computer after starting it up in Safe Mode.
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Used Karspersky for a while due to Barclays giving free licenses to customers but in 2009 it also let something through so I switched back to Esset. I am a 'downloader' :tape2: and some of the things I've downloaded have been infected, yet I haven't had a virust attack since 2009, and never one on this laptop. 
) some months ago when I had done something foolish. It found over a dozen Trojans (even though I have Norton running all the time) and has since found several Pups (whatever they may be) - so thoroughly recommended for fellow ignoramuses.:tinysmile_twink_t2:
At that time I ran several online scans and found lots of things Norton had totally ignored. 
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