MoneyGram Virus

Posted: May 6, 2013

Threat Metric

The Threat Meter is a malware assessment that SpywareRemove.com's research team is able to give every identifiable malware threat. Our Threat Meter includes several criteria based off of specific malware threats to value their severity, reach and volume. The Threat Meter is able to give you a numerical breakdown of each threat's initial Threat Level, Detection Count, Volume Count, Trend Path and Percentage Impact. The overall ranking of each threat in the Threat Meter is a basic breakdown of how all threats are ranked within our own extensive malware database. The scoring for each specific malware threat can be easily compared to other emerging threats to draw a contrast in its particular severity. The Threat Meter is a useful tool in the endeavor of seeking a solution to remove a threat or pursue additional analytical research for all types of computer users.

The following fields listed on the Threat Meter containing a specific value, are explained in detail below:

Threat Level: The threat level scale goes from 1 to 10 where 10 is the highest level of severity and 1 is the lowest level of severity. Each specific level is relative to the threat's consistent assessed behaviors collected from SpyHunter's risk assessment model.

Detection Count: The collective number of confirmed and suspected cases of a particular malware threat. The detection count is calculated from infected PCs retrieved from diagnostic and scan log reports generated by SpyHunter.

Volume Count: Similar to the detection count, the Volume Count is specifically based on the number of confirmed and suspected threats infecting systems on a daily basis. High volume counts usually represent a popular threat but may or may not have infected a large number of systems. High detection count threats could lay dormant and have a low volume count. Criteria for Volume Count is relative to a daily detection count.

Trend Path: The Trend Path, utilizing an up arrow, down arrow or equal symbol, represents the level of recent movement of a particular threat. Up arrows represent an increase, down arrows represent a decline and the equal symbol represent no change to a threat's recent movement.

% Impact (Last 7 Days): This demonstrates a 7-day period change in the frequency of a malware threat infecting PCs. The percentage impact correlates directly to the current Trend Path to determine a rise or decline in the percentage.

Threat Level:	2/10
Infected PCs:	9

First Seen:	May 6, 2013
Last Seen:	September 18, 2022
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The MoneyGram Virus can refer to any Police Trojan that generates fake legal warnings and requests a ransom fine through the MoneyGram service. Recent variants of the MoneyGram Virus have been found to focus on threatening PC users with warped versions of US laws, making references to entities such as the FBI, the International Police Association and/or SOPA. Despite its warnings, the MoneyGram Virus cannot detect any kind of criminal activity related to your computer, and SpywareRemove.com malware researchers stress that you should avoid paying its fake legal fee. Police Trojans like MoneyGram Virus and other system-blocking PC threats usually will need to be disabled initially, after which you can delete the MoneyGram Virus freely with your chosen form of anti-malware software.

MoneyGram Virus: Grabbing at More Than Just a Gram's Worth of Your Cash

The MoneyGram Virus, like all Police Ransomware Trojans, pretends to be sent out by a genuine law enforcement entity but actually is illegal and malicious software, or malware. SpywareRemove.com malware experts have confirmed MoneyGram Virus attacks for various English-speaking places, for example, the United States and Britain, but have yet to see the MoneyGram Virus targeting other nations outside of this criteria.

Please Note: The MoneyGram Virus or any variation of the MoneyPak Ransomware is not related to the legitimate MoneyGram service or MoneyGram.com website. Similar Ransomware threats or viruses may purposely use the legitimate name service or other entities like MoneyGram to entice or gain the trust of computer unsuspecting users.

Variants of the MoneyGram Virus, first and foremost, will use any of several methods to block you from using Windows. This may include blocking individual programs or disabling basic parts of the Windows interface (most usually, Windows Explorer) entirely. After locking your computer down, the MoneyGram Virus creates a fake police warning in the form of a screen-wide pop-up. Depending on the variant of the MoneyGram Virus that's installed, SpywareRemove.com malware analysts have seen this pop-up employ references to the American legislation (the Stop Online Piracy Act is one example of it), various departments of law enforcement and international law enforcement organizations.

In all cases, the MoneyGram Virus accuses your computer of being used for criminal actions that require you to pay a fee, in some cases of up to three hundred USD. Any money that you pay actually transfers into the hands of criminals and, SpywareRemove.com malware experts especially stress, does not unlock your computer. Similarly, since the MoneyGram Virus is itself entirely illegal and doesn't detect actual criminal activities, avoiding the MoneyGram Virus's ransom will not result in any form of imprisonment or other penalties.

How to Take Your Desktop Back from a MoneyGram Virus's Pop-Up

Infection routes for the MoneyGram Virus still are being analyzed, but likely methods of infection include spam e-mail links (often used to distribute similar Police Trojans and various forms of scamware) and exposure to malicious or compromised websites. For reference purposes, the MoneyGram Virus can be compared and contrasted the Stop Online Piracy MoneyPak Virus, the FBI Cybercrime Division Virus, the FBI Ultimate Game Card Virus, FBI MoneyPak Ransomware, the FBI PayPal Virus, SOPA Ransomware and 'FBI Your PC is blocked' Ransomware.

All variants of the MoneyGram Virus that SpywareRemove.com malware experts have analyzed thus far will attempt to block you from using any other Windows programs. Depending on how the MoneyGram Virus achieves this blockade, you can resolve it through restarting in Safe Mode or through booting your computer from a flash drive. After that, deleting a MoneyGram Virus in a sterile environment should be an easy enough chore for any competent brand of anti-malware scanner.

Technical Details

Additional Information

The following URL's were detected:

stoneoakjobs.com

The following messages's were detected:

#	Message
1	FBI. CYBERCRIME DIVISION International Cyber Security Protection Alliance ATTENTION! Your PC is blocked due at least one of the reasons specified below. You have been illegally violating “Copyright and Related Rights Law” (Video, Music, Software) and illegally using or distributing copyrighted content, thus infringing Article 1, Section 2, Clause 8, also known as the Copyright of the Criminal Code of United States of America. Article1, Section 2, Clause 8 of the Criminal code provides for a fine of 200 to 500 minimal wages or a deprivation of liberty for 2 to 8 years. You have been viewing of distributing prohibited Pornographic content (Child Porn/Zoophilia and etc). Thus violating Article 2, Section 1, Clause 2 of the Criminal Code of United States of America. Article 2, Section 1, Clause 2 of the Criminal Code Provides for a deprivation of liberty for 4 to 12 years.

Message

FBI. CYBERCRIME DIVISION
International Cyber Security Protection Alliance
ATTENTION!
Your PC is blocked due at least one of the reasons specified below.
You have been illegally violating “Copyright and Related Rights Law” (Video, Music, Software) and illegally using or distributing copyrighted content, thus infringing Article 1, Section 2, Clause 8, also known as the Copyright of the Criminal Code of United States of America.
Article1, Section 2, Clause 8 of the Criminal code provides for a fine of 200 to 500 minimal wages or a deprivation of liberty for 2 to 8 years.
You have been viewing of distributing prohibited Pornographic content (Child Porn/Zoophilia and etc). Thus violating Article 2, Section 1, Clause 2 of the Criminal Code of United States of America. Article 2, Section 1, Clause 2 of the Criminal Code Provides for a deprivation of liberty for 4 to 12 years.