Grey County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) continue to remind residents to be suspicious of unsolicited phone calls and emails from individuals seeking personal information or money and warn, never send money or give personal and credit card information to anyone you don't know or trust. Fraudsters continue to prey on people by taking their money by means of various scams, including one that's known as "Ransomware". Ransomware, also called scareware, is a type of malicious software (malware) that infects a computer and restricts access until a ransom is paid to unlock it. This malware will attempt to extort money from victims by displaying an on-screen alert stating that their computer has been locked or all of their files have been encrypted and then demand a ransom be paid to restore access. It is usually inserted via Phishing* using Emails, hyperlinks or pop-up windows.

According to 2015 Symantec's Internet Security Threat Report – over 1,600 ransomware and social media scams affect Canadians daily.

The ransomware looks for images, documents and programs on your computer and encrypt them so that you can't access them. It will likely threaten to permanently erase all of your data if payment is not handed over.

*Phishing is the attempt to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details (and sometimes, indirectly, money), often for malicious reasons, by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication.

Victims describe receiving alert messages that a software license is out of date or fake anti-virus pop-ups claiming their computer is infected and to click on a link to fix it. This type of malware can be very effective because it scares or causes panic for the victim to click on the link and become infected. It will also cause panic so that the victim will pay the ransom demanded as quickly as possible to restore access to their computer.

Paying the ransom does not guarantee that the victim's files will be released, it will only guarantee that the criminals receive your money and possibly your banking information.

There are a few steps that a user can take to lower the risk of infection and to help with recovery if an infection should occur.

Ensure all software is kept up to date with the latest patches including Windows, web browsers, anti-virus, Java and Adobe.Scan your computer for viruses regularlyPerform regular backups of your data. Ideally, this data should be kept on a different device other than your computer.Don't open links or attachments in emails from untrusted or unknown sources.Ensure your anti-virus is up to date.Consider using a security application from a reputable company on your mobile device.Don't download or install applications from untrusted or unknown sources.Never click on pop-up windows that claim your computer has a virus.

Recovery from ransomware can be a difficult process and may require the services of a reputable data recovery specialist. It is important to note that paying the criminals their "fine" or "ransom" will not get your data back, nor will they decrypt it for you. They are only interested in your money.

If you are familiar with data recovery, then you may attempt to remove the malware yourself. Many well-known anti-virus companies will detect most variants of this malware and will have instructions and software to aid the user in removing it. Professional IT Removal
Obtaining the services of an IT security specialist, or data recovery specialist is another option to recover from this type of malware. If the malware has encrypted the hard drive, making recovery impossible, then all of the information will have to be restored from backups. It is important to keep current backups if this should occur.

Once the malware has been confirmed to be removed, change all passwords for all accounts accessed from the previously infected computer. These could include:

Banking and financial web sites.Social media.Account and email logins.Remote access logins.

Reporting

If you have already paid them, alert your financial institution and your local law enforcement authorities. You may also report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca

[email protected]
1-888-495-8501

source: media release, Grey County OPP