Windows 10: Ransomware hit on 12-05-2018 & has plagued me ever since! Advice needed, please!

Ransomware hit on 12-05-2018 & has plagued me ever since! Can someone please help me get rid of the issue & regain my privacy!



Rather than explain all over again, I am assuming it's okay to post the support log of the Microsoft Help Chat I just finished. They recommended I come here to ask for help, can anyone recommend ways to help me get rid of the Malware/Virus whatever it is? Also, can you recommend any websites or articles that you use to keep your computer safe and protected from threats? Also, what Malware Removal Tool and Anti-Virus do you think is best? ANY help and replies greatly appreciated.


I also am searching for a good way to encrypt and password protect my files as well as my main hard-drive AND my External HDD Hard-Drive and USB Flash Drives?


HERE IS THE CHAT LOG SHOWING HOW BAD THE SITUATION IS AND HOW DIIRE IT IIS THAT I FIND HELPP & BETTER WAYS TO KEEP SAFER. (Note, I have removed all personal information from the chat log as the rules stated.)



Microsoft Answer Tech




Thank you for contacting Microsoft Support. I am L*** A. How can I help you today?




Please be aware that if you switch apps or change focus to another window while working with us, you may get disconnected from your chat session. To ensure the best support experience, please stay active in this chat window.




hi




yes my pc keeps being infected by ransomware




it started when the hacker struck on 12-05-2019




and since then it keeps happening over and over




It must have been frustrating if you're PC was infected by a malware. Don't worry, I will do my best to assist you today.




Before we proceed, may I know your name, location, and phone number so I can call you back just in case we get disconnected? Thank you.




my last 2 accounts were suspended for violating terms and I NEVER violated terms, so I am guessing that they hacked into my account and did something with it




Got it. Thanks for that.




I just want to get some advice on what to do, I've had 4 hard-drives ruined from it




By the way, I made a service request number as a reference for this conversation. Please take note of it. Your service request number is: *********




ok ty for your help today




ok ty




May I ask if when did this issue start?




Did you receive a scam message and allowed access to the person that sent a message?




I don't know not sure, but I could have when it first started




it happened after I downloaded a google app and then the hacker was in control of all my devices, my pc, laptop, phone, he was telling me to ppay $800




I see. That's terrible to hear.




How were you able to communicate with the hacker? Did he message you personally?




or otherwise he threatened to show my landlord and stuff some sexy-type private pics which he showed me he indeed had, he had all my info. when I did not pay and tried to turn my phone off it would not even turn off, he did something to it and it was making strange sounds




i had hubby take the battery out




he kept saying he had watched me for a long time and that he had been listening to our private conversations as well




yes he messaged me somehow on my Samsung phone on 12-05-2018




my phone stated the call was from a Tech Representative




May I ask if your PC is still accessible?




there was no Tech person, just the hacker




my laptop is, that's what i am using now




I would also like to know what is the operating system of your phone? Thanks!




but he rendered my phone incapable of password recovery,, too




i cannot even use it now




the operating system is android




I see. That's must be really frustrating.




well...was anyway, as i said i cannot even use my phone and customer service couldn't help either




i just can't take this anymore and am desperate for assistance




it is very frustrating yes




plus i make a living online only, so this has really hurt us financially too




i am a freelance writer




the desktop pc i regularly use was just killed too




I understand. Don't worry, I will try to help you out the best that I can.




we are trying a thing to wipe the files on drive clean permanently before re-attempting a re-install if one is even possible this time




Does that mean that your PC is not accessible now?




ok tysm




correct




i am using my notebook laptop now




Does that hacker has access on your notebook laptop?




my husband is trying to repair the desktop pc again for like the 7th time since 12-05-2018 when this happened




i do not believe so, but i cannot say for certain




i have had to completely re-install on it a couple of times, so maybe




this is really scary....also, i lost the Microsoft word that i had free for my education




Michelle, since your PC and laptop has been accessed by the hacker, we need to remove the malwares he installed and fully clean the computer. We have our technicians here to do the clean up of your PC to remove the malwares that the hacker put in your PC.




the guy was telling me sick things like how i was to talk to him when he said to and to wear something pretty, just very sick




ok yes please, that would be great




I'm so sorry to hear that. That guy must be out of his mind.




once my pc is back up and running if we can fix it, can i also contact you then with my service id to help check the desktop




yes he is nuts, and he must have really been listening for maybe at least a week or 2 before he directly SMS texted me by phone




i believe he did something where he can have touch-control access of my devices




not sure though




Michelle, I have an offer for you. I can send you an email with the info about Windows Defender Offline which can protect your computer from future malware or you can subscribe to our premium plan, which I suggest, so our technicians will be able to access your PC and fully remove the malwares in your computer.




Does that sound okay to you?




yes but i do not have money to upgrade yet




could i please get a free trial or at least support for this though




i have tried windows defender and also he uninstalled it somehow on the desktop pc




that's how i found out something was up then my files started to not work at all, nothing worked except my internet connection




I just want to inform you that in the case of your phone, we will not be able to remove the malware since we only handle windows. You can contact Google so you can get help with your operating system and its issue.




if you could please somehow find it in your heart to help me get a free trial of premium or something just until I get paid in a week




if ii don't have my pc i cannot make a living as i am a freelance writer at home




I've tried hard these past nearly 4 months of this stuff happening to me, but can't seem to get rid of whatever he caused




how much is premium and does it include word?




May I ask if you have ran the windows defender offline while your PC is still accessible?




if i get your free 30 day trial of Microsoft office would that be the same as premium?




i have not yet, no




i will if i get it working again though, ty for the suggestion




he even threatened to take all of our money out of our accounts, we had to change all cards due to this and pin #'s, everything




You're welcome, Michelle.




this is effecting me badly, especially psychologically, I have ptsd and this makes me have bad anxiety, paranoia, and panic attacks




Well we have two premium plans for this issue.




ok




Assure is a one year Support plan to cover all your Windows and Office technical need. Microsoft Support experts will keep your PC performing at its best, eliminate viruses, and get you the answers you need, fast all year long. Assure connects you with friendly and knowledgeable Microsoft Supports who know Microsoft software better than anyone. The plan is for $149 and can cover up to 5 computers.




The other service plan is Premium Software Support. It is $49 for Windows Support including PC tune up and protection. This covers a period of 30 days for only 1 issue




ok question, i saw a free years trial of azure




It is advisable if you don't save your pin in your affected devices so he won't have access to your credit card details.




if i get it and download it,, would i be able to get your techs to remove the malware




yes, i learned the hard way




i am even afraid to speak in my own home because i am scared he is somehow still listening




and yes ty i will not store them on any of my devices




but if i get the free years worth of azure, would i be eligible for Microsoft techs to help me then?




He's terrible. You don't deserve to experience this.




like i said, i even lost my college edu year of Microsoft word




thank you, i don't think anyone deserves this




I would love to give you a free trial of Assure, Michelle, but according to Microsoft, we don't have a free trial of it yet.




i am an abuse survivor hence the post-traumatic stress disorder and this is effecting my mental state very badly




I know. I hope people like him go rot in jail.




i see a free trial of it, is it a scam?




Yes, maybe it is a scam. It is advisable if you don't click it because another hacker might get access to your device again.




Start Your Free Account $200 Free Credit for 30 Days to Try Any Azure Product Combinations




is what it says




I see. Michelle, our product is "Assure" not "Azure". Maybe that is a different thing that you can find in the web.




https://azure.microsoft.com/Account/Free is the site being advertised for azure




oh ok sorry




i am very rattled right now




This is the website where you can find our premium support plan: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/assure-software-support-plan/cfq7ttc0k637?activetab=pivot%3Aoverviewtab




so if i can pay the $50 in a week, then can Microsoft help?




I understand. Having to experience that must be horrific.




and for $50 can they remove the problem for sure? i know you said only one issue is covered with the $50 plan so if there are more than just one problem with it, like multiple issues would the $50 still cover it?




also, for $50 can they help me with both my devices, my pc and my notebook laptop?




i am disabled and on low-income budget at the moment, mostly because the hacker keeps doing this




i keep losing everything i wrote, and when i cannot use my pc i lose most of my income as i get paid top write online




and yes, it is truly a nightmare




he is a very sick, depraved individual that needs to be stopped




If this is not the right time to sign up with Assure plan and get your premium support for any Windows issues for 1 year, I can sign you up to premium software support for now which will cost you $49.00 valid for 1 issue for 1 month so we can help you with this then you can just upgrade to Assure.




Upgrading can be done when you sign-up within thirty days with PSS.




Have you reported him to the police?




no i have not




but i want to i wasn't aware u could report them to police




should i file a police report online about this?




and so the $50 covers me for one month, no matter how many issues it has?




and with the $50 for that one month, will they remove the malware from both my pc and my laptop?




Your $50 will cover 1 issue in 1 month, Michelle.




ok well darn, i cannot afford $150




can you give me advice about what the Microsoft techs would do and what programs i could use to attempt the removal myself




Don't worry, Michelle. I can just send you an email about Windows Defender Offline so you can temporarily have protection with your PC.




and is there somewhere where i can learn credible information on how to better protect my devices




do you recommend any other products for thee removal?




I would like to give you tips about what they do but sadly, I do not have the tools of the Engineers who will do the clean up in your computer once.




and yes please do send the email, tyvm




okay, that is alright




should i go to the Microsoft community forums for help until I get paid?




I will send it. Don't worry!




sorry i am trying to figure out what to do




ok thank you, i really appreciate your help today




Besides Microsoft products, I do not really have any product to recommend as of the moment, Michelle.




I suggest that you go to the forums and Microsoft community for a while so you can get help from our fellow Microsoft advocates about your issue.




one more question, about the Microsoft word yearly subscription that i lost, can it be recovered even if i don't have access to the email for it anymore?




okay i will be sure to right after this




does Microsoft have any other security programs, or is it just windows defender and firewall?




Is your Microsoft word a subscription?




it was yes




it was obtained by my edu email from school




it was free for a year i believe




Don't worry, you can contact our Accounts and Billing so you can cancel the subscription so you won't be charged for it on the next renewal date.




******** was the email i used for the free edu for Microsoft word




And you can't access it anymore?




can you see if we could cover it and re-issue it to me




correct




he is doing something when he is on my pc because i had Microsoft suspend 2 more of my accounts




for violating terms of service, which I NEVER ever would do and did not do




*******************


sorry this keyboard isn't so good




and then ******************** was also suspended




In this case, Michelle, we can contact our Accounts and Billing department so we can check if your accounts has really violated the terms and services.




it happened yesterday, the suspensions




would you please for those emails i gave??




this started with my main email which is *** Email address is removed for privacy ***




i don't think that one was suspended, i really hope not anyway




but yes please check my records for those emails and see what was done to violate terms and when it was done




it's very messed up because it said i could recover it with my old cellphone but it does not work anymore as i said and i do not even have another phone to enter that can receive texts to recover them




but you do believe i should make a report to the police?




would i file the police report with my local police, or online police report and where do I report it to, is there an internet crimes place where i can goo to make a report




Regarding your email, if you want that to be checked and be secured, the only person who can check that if you violate any terms or services is your email provider.




it was outlook.com




that's Microsoft, right?




I see. Then you can contact Microsoft with that issue. But we have a different department for that which is the Accounts and Billing department.




ok




can you put in a request for them to please contact me about this




Try it now Get a free 90-day trial, evaluate Enterprise Mobility + Security, and see how it meets your business challenges. Sign-up for your free trial




is this real?




technically my writing is a business as i provide services to people




if i got this trial could i get the help, it says extra security




Michelle, you can report this issue to Microsoft by going to Microsoft.com/reportascam so Microsoft can check with the issue that you have.




ok so report about the hacker on reportascam




or do you mean the fake azure trial?




and is the 90 day enterprise trial available?




or a 30 day?




Yes you can report, them using that link.




Microsoft will never proactively reach out to you to provide unsolicited PC or technical support. Any communication we have with you, must be initiated by you.








Note that we are also not calling our customer's unless they requested for it.




sorry i am ;panicking because this is attacking my family's livelihood




ok ty for the info




Since your computer is also affected, what I can do here is I will send the troubleshooting steps on your email so that your devices will be safe and secured.




I will also include the link of the department that can help you with your email security.




when i can't write it's very bad because my disability is only $*** a month




Sounds good?




yes that would be great, thanks




Since I was able to provide you enough information and correct troubleshooting steps. Would it be okay if we will close this case now as resolve?






i just don't know how to afford everything...and i can't remember did you say we could look up my old email to restore my Microsoft word




No worries, even if you declined our paid support plans, I will not leave you empty handed here.




I will send all the steps on your email to make your computer secured and virus free.




if so, could you please transfer me to someone who could verify the account did indeed have the edu free install?




Since I was able to provide you enough information and correct troubleshooting steps. Would it be okay if we will close this case now as resolve?






ok tysm




yes




except the word




Regarding the department who can help you with your account, I'll include their support link on the email that I will send since there is no way for me to transfer you over to them right now using this chat.




I hope you understand.




yes ii do, please include it in the email




can i write them an email?




Yes, you can write them an email, Michelle.




ok great because i have the name of the app downloaded on chrome that let the hacker in on 12-05--2019 i wrote it down somewhere, i will try and find it




https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Search/en-us/?query=windows




That's great! You can report it to the link that I gave to you and you can write it in the community so you will possibly get help with it.




is this your site with the free enterprise trial and if so, would they provide the support sooner then for me?




ok




wow so many scams




how can ii be sure when it's the real Microsoft or a scam?




is there a way to tell that the site is from Microsoft?




It is a scam since we don't have a plan like that.




ok i noticed that from this page you have a free 30 day trial for Microsoft office, correct?




is that one safe as it came from a link ii clicked on this same site ii am speaking to you now on




Yes, we have free trial of our selected Office 365 subscription.




I suppose that is a safe link, Michelle.




the office 365 home, that is real?




ok good ty for letting me know




Yes, Office 365 Home is real.




Since I was able to provide you enough information and correct troubleshooting steps. Would it be okay if we will close this case now as resolve?




yes




and thanks for all of your help




You're welcome, Michelle.




can you also email me this chat?


Bye!




You may now end this conversation by clicking the End chat button.




what is the correct url




for your real community forum?




Yes? What is it?




i just need to know the correct url for the community forum, to see if they can help




i want to make sure it's a real Microsoft site, all this makes me paranoid




The correct URL for Microsoft Community is: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us?auth=1




I hope I have answered all your questions today, Michelle.




yes you did




Thanks for contacting Microsoft. Have a good day.




have a good evening and ty




you too




bye




You may now end this conversation by clicking the End chat button.


* Original title: Help despertly needed!!! Ransomware hit on 12-05-2018 & has plagued me ever since! Advice needed, please! I need my privacy back & to be able to work online as I'm a Writer...please help! TY


Help despertly needed!!! Ransomware hit on 12-05-2018 & has plagued me ever since! Advice needed, please! I need my privacy back & to be able to work online as I'm a Writer...please help! TY

:)

 

What is the best protection against the Ransom Hack - May 12, 2017

You posted in sub-category Microsoft Security Essentials but - judging by your prior posts I believe you use Windows 10... Is that correct?

If you kept your computer and your Anti-Virus program updated, you should be fine...

Please read:

• Customer Guidance for WannaCrypt attacks
• https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com...-ransomware-worm-targets-out-of-date-systems/

In addition suggestion to read the following articles which provide some more interesting information

• Best Practices for Safe Computing - Prevention of Malware Infection
• http://blog.emsisoft.com/2017/03/30/spotlight-on-ransomware-common-infection-methods/
• http://blog.emsisoft.com/2017/05/01/how-ransomware-works/
• https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/wana-decryptor-wanacrypt0r-technical-nose-dive/
• http://blog.emsisoft.com/2017/02/16/how-to-remove-ransomware-the-right-way-a-step-by-step-guide/

 

How to get Ransomware Patch (march 2017) updates?

@JCC2420

The FM edited his post to correct the links. They are both working now. Just try again:

• Customer Guidance for WannaCrypt attacks
• https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com...-ransomware-worm-targets-out-of-date-systems/

In addition, suggestion to read:

• FAQ: Are you in danger from the WannaCry ransomware?
• How to make sure your Windows PC won't get hit by ransomware like WannaCry

 

RANSOMWARE ATACK

If you are referring to the recent WannaCry Ransomware Global attack....

WannaCry spreads by exploit in a weakness found in Microsoft Windows which was formerly exploited by the US National Security Agency (NSA) and targets unpatched systems. A group known as The Shadow Brokers claimed to have dumped hacking tools stolen from
NSA.

• WannaCrypt ransomware worm targets out-of-date systems
• Wana Decrypt0r Ransomware Using NSA Exploit Leaked by
  Shadow Brokers
• Say Hello to 'WannaCry'
• Ransomware infections reported worldwide
• WannaCry|WannaDecrypt0r NSA-Cyberweapon-Powered Ransomware Worm
• The worm that spreads WanaCrypt0r
• How did the WannaCry Ransomworm spread?

Microsoft Customer Guidance for WannaCrypt attacks

How to Protect yourself from the WannaCry or Wana Decryptor Ransomware

How to protect yourself from WannaCry ransomware

Microsoft releases WannaCrypt protection for out-of-support products...Windows XP, Windows 8, & Windows Server 2003

Quote from
Microsoft Customer Guidance for WannaCrypt attacks

"...we are taking the highly unusual step of providing a security update for all customers to protect Windows platforms that are in custom support only, including Windows XP, Windows 8, and Windows Server 2003. Customers running Windows 10 were not targeted
by the attack today.

If you are referring to something else, then more information will be needed.