Ireland's National Police Service Virus
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is Ireland's National Police Service?
Ireland's National Police Service is a screen locker scam distributed by Cyber criminals. This ransomware targets computer users from Ireland and is often spread using Trojans and misleading websites, which exploit your computer's security vulnerabilities.
After infiltrating your computer, this ransomware blocks your desktop with a message demanding that you pay a 100 Euro fine for watching child pornography, storing pirated content, etc.
No authorities use screen lockers such as this to collect fines for any illegal activities. This message it a scam created by Internet criminals in the hope that you will fall for their trickery and send Ukash codes to them.
In fact, Ireland's National Police Service does not collect fines using screen lockers, therefore, ignore this message and do not pay this fabricated fine to Cyber criminals.
Update July 19, 2013 - Cyber criminals have released a new variant of this ransomware virus targeted at PC users from Ireland: GARDA "Your computer has been blocked" virus
Ireland's National Police Service is just one of many ransomware variants infecting Internet users' systems worldwide. For example, computer users from the USA are being targeted by rogue FBI ransomware.
To prevent these security infections from infiltrating your PC, use legitimate antivirus and antispyware programs and update your operating system and your installed programs regularly.
Ukash (Smart Voucher Limited) is a legitimate company and not related to ransomware viruses - Cyber criminals use the name of this service to extort money from unsuspecting PC users.
A fake message shown by Ireland's National Police Service screen lock:
Irelands National Police Service.
Your computer is locked.
Your computer has been locked by the automated information control system (AICS)
What is the reason?
This could be due to one of the following reasons:
1. Your computer has been used to view banned Web sites
2. Your computer has been used to view Web site containing child pornography.
3. Your computer has been used to illicit information exchange
4. Your computer has been used for storing/viewing pirated content
What should I do?
According to "Information Security and Control Act (ISCA) 2012", you are required to pay a fine of 100 euro. For the convenience of paying the fine we provide a secure payment gateway for Ukash Vouchers. You need to buy Ukash voucher(s) for the sum of 100 euro and enter the 19 (sometimes 16) digit code written on the voucher to the secure payment form, then press "Submit Code" button to send the code. What will happen after I submit the code? Once the Ukash voucher code is verified by our system your computer will be immediately unlocked. If you want to pay a fine using two codes of 50 euro each - you should enter the first code, after receiving confirmation, the second code. What if I have problems? If for any reason you can not pay the fine through a secure payment form, you will need to send an e-mail to info@online-cyber-police.com, stating your IP address and Ukash voucher code (19 digits or 16 digits) of total sum of 100 euro. Once the code is verified by our system your computer will be immediately unlocked.
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Quick menu:
- What is Ireland's National Police Service?
- STEP 1. "Ireland's National Police Service" virus removal using safe mode with networking.
- STEP 2. "Ireland's National Police Service" virus removal using safe mode with command prompt.
- STEP 3. "Ireland's National Police Service" ransomware removal using System Restore.
Ireland's National Police Service computer lock removal:
Step 1
Start your computer in Safe Mode. Click Start, click Shut Down, click Restart, click OK.
During your computer starting process press the F8 key on your keyboard multiple times until you see the Windows Advanced Option menu, then select Safe Mode with Networking from the list.
Video showing how to start Windows 7 in "Safe Mode with Networking":
Step 2
Log in to the account infected with the Ireland's National Police Service virus. Start your Internet browser and download a legitimate anti-spyware program.
Update the anti-spyware software and start a full system scan. Remove all the entries detected.
Cannot boot in Safe Mode with Networking? (Ireland's National Police Service virus blocks Safe Mode with Networking)
If you have more than one user account in your operating system - please log-in to the clean account and download the recommended malware removal software, install it and run a full system scan, remove all the security infections detected. If, however, you have only one user account, please follow this guide (this guide demonstrates how to create a new user account using Safe Mode with Command Prompt - using this newly created user account, you will be able to remove Ireland's National Police Service virus).
If Ireland's National Police Service virus also blocks your operating system's Safe Mode with Networking, follow these removal instructions:
1. During your computer starting process, press the F8 key on your keyboard multiple times until the Windows Advanced Options menu appears, and then select Safe Mode with Command Prompt from the list and press ENTER.
2. When Command Prompt mode loads, enter the following line: net user removevirus /add and press ENTER.
3. Next, enter this line: net localgroup administrators removevirus /add and press ENTER.
4. Finally, enter this line: shutdown -r and press ENTER.
5. Wait for your computer to restart, boot your PC in Normal Mode, and then login to the newly created user account ("removevirus"). This account will not be affected by the ransomware infection and you will be able to download and install recommended malware removal software to eliminate this virus from your computer.
6. Download and install recommended malware removal software to eliminate this ransomware infection from your computer:
Alternative Ireland's National Police Service scam removal guide:
If this ransomware blocks your screen when you start your computer in Safe Mode with Networking, try starting your PC in Safe Mode with Command Prompt.
Video showing how to remove ransomware virus using "Safe Mode with Command Prompt" and "System Restore":
1. During your computer starting process, press the F8 key on your keyboard multiple times until the Windows Advanced Options menu appears, and then select Safe Mode with Command Prompt from the list and press ENTER.
2. When Command Prompt mode loads, enter the following line: cd restore and press ENTER.
3. Next, type this line: rstrui.exe and press ENTER.
4. In the opened window, click "Next".
5. Select one of the available restore points and click "Next" (this will restore your computer's system to an earlier time and date, prior to the ransomware infiltrating your PC).
6. In the opened window, click "Yes".
7. After restoring your computer to a previous date, download and scan your PC with recommended malware removal software to eliminate any remnants of Ireland's National Police Service virus.
If you cannot start your computer in Safe Mode with Networking (or with Command Prompt),boot your computer using a rescue disk. Some variants of ransomware disable Safe Mode, making its removal more complicated.
For this step, you need access to another computer. After removing Ireland's National Police Service scam from your PC, restart your computer and scan it with legitimate antispyware software to remove any possible remnants of this security infection.
Other tools known to remove Ireland's National Police Service screen lock:
Other methods which can be used to eliminate this ransomware infection from your PC:
Remove Ireland's National Police Service virus using a Rescue Disk.
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