RansomwareRemoval Guide

Remove Pecunia Virus (.[pecunia0318@airmail.cc].pecunia Files Ransomware) – Makop Ransomware

Pecunia Virus Ransomware

The Pecunia mean a ransomware-type infection. The virus comes from the Makop ransomware family. Pecunia was elaborated particularly to encrypt all major file types. As soon as the file is encrypted people are unable to use them. Pecunia adds the “.[pecunia0318@airmail.cc].pecunia” extension for each file encrypted by it. For example, the file “myphoto.jpg“, as soon as encrypted by Pecunia, will be renamed into “myphoto.jpg.[pecunia0318@airmail.cc].pecunia“. As quickly as the encryption is finished, Pecunia places a special text file into every folder containing the encrypted data.

The message given by Pecunia text file requesting for the ransom is absolutely the same as the statements given by other ransomware representatives belonging to the Makop family. It literally discusses that the info is encrypted which the only way to restore it is to use a a distinct decryption key. Sadly, this is absolutely true. The type of cryptography mechanism applied by Pecunia is still not appropriately examined. Still, it is absolutely certain that each victim may be given the specific decryption key, which is totally unique. It is difficult to restore the files without the key available.

Another technique of Pecunia is that the victims cannot get to the key. The key is stored on a specific server run by the frauds connected with Pecunia ransomware. To get the key and recover the important info people need to pay the ransom.

However, regardless of the asked for amount, people need to stay away from paying the ransom. Cyber frauds are not fair, so they tend to totally ignore what their victims feel about the issue, even when the payment reaches their pockets. This is why paying the ransom normally does not provide any positive outcome and people just waste their money for absolutely nothing.

We highly encourage that you do not contact these crooks and certainly do not transfer money into their accounts. It is said to admit that there are no utilities able to crack Pecunia ransomware and to recover the data data totally free. Thus, the only best decision is to recover the lost information from the available backup.

Virus Summary

NamePecunia Ransomware
File Extension.[pecunia0318@airmail.cc].pecunia
TypeRansomware
FamilyMakop
Short DescriptionThe ransomware encrypts all the data stored on your system and requires a ransom to be paid on your part supposedly to recover your important files.
SymptomsFile encryption by the ransomware is performed by means of the AES and RSA encryption algorithms. Once the encryption is completed, the ransomware adds its special [pecunia0318@airmail.cc].pecunia extension to all the files modified by it.
Distribution MethodSpam Emails, Email Attachments
Removal Tool   GridinSoft Anti-Malware

Bear in mind that the internet is now overwhelmed with threats that look similar to Pecunia ransomware. Malicious programs of such kind are generally elaborated to encrypt essential information and to set forth the need prior to the user to pay the ransom. The peculiarity of all such ransomware threats is that all apply a similar algorithm to create the distinct decryption key for files decryption.

Hence, as long as the ransomware is still being developed or has some hidden bugs, manually recovering the information is simply not feasible. The only way to prevent the loss of your crucial data is to frequently create backups of your important information.

Bear in mind that even if you create such backups, they must be placed into a special storage utility not connect to your main computer. You may use the USB Memory Stick or external disk drive for this purpose, or refer to the help of the cloud storage. If you keep your backup files on your common system they may be encrypted in addition to other files, so it’s certainly not a good storage place.

How did ransomware infect my system?

There are a number of ways used by online frauds to distribute Pecunia ransomware. Despite the fact that it doubts how precisely Pecunia injects your system, there are some leaks through which it may penetrate the system:

  • integration with third-party software, especially freeware;
  • spam e-mails from unknown senders;
  • websites rendering free hosting services;
  • pirated peer-to-peer (P2P) downloads.

Frequently Pecunia ransomware may be presented as some legitimate software, for example, in the pop-ups advising users to implement some important software application updates. This is the common technique used by online scams to persuade people into downloading and installing Pecunia infection manually, by means of their direct participation in the installation process.

Additionally, the criminals might refer to various email spam methods to inject malicious codes into Windows PC. So, they may refer to to sending unsolicited spam e-mails with tricky notices promoting users to download the attachments or click on certain download links, for example, the ones encouraging users to open some receipts, documents, tax reports or invoices.

Needless to mention, opening such files or clicking on such dangerous links may seriously damage the system. Fictitious Adobe Flash Player update alerts may result in Pecunia ransom injection. As for the cracked software, these illegally downloaded programs may also include destructive codes leading to Pecunia secret installation. Finally, injection of Pecunia may take place by ways of Trojans that covertly get injected into the system and set up destructive utilities without the user’s authorization.

Is there any way to prevent the injection of Pecunia ransomware?

Although there is no 100% guarantee to prevent your computer from getting infected, there are some pieces of recommendations we want to share with with you. First off, be really careful when you surf the web and specifically while downloading totally free apps. Keep away from opening suspicious email attachments, especially when the sender of the email is not familiar to you.

Remember that some freeware installers may include other unwanted utilities in the bundle, so they may be destructive. Make certain that your current antivirus and your entire OS is always duly updated.

Naturally, downloading pirated software is illegal and may lead to important damage to be made for your system. For this reason, stay away from downloading cracked software. You are likewise strongly advised to reconsider your existing security software and potentially change to another security solution that can render far better services of protecting your Windows.

Below please find the quotation from the Pecunia text file:

::: Greetings :::


Little FAQ:
.1.
Q: Whats Happen?
A: Your files have been encrypted and now have the \"pecunia\" extension. The file structure was not damaged, we did everything possible so that this could not happen.

.2.
Q: How to recover files?
A: If you wish to decrypt your files you will need to pay in bitcoins.

.3.
Q: What about guarantees?
A: Its just a business. We absolutely do not care about you and your deals, except getting benefits. If we do not do our work and liabilities - nobody will cooperate with us. Its not in our interests.
To check the ability of returning files, you can send to us any 2 files with SIMPLE extensions(jpg,xls,doc, etc... not databases!) and low sizes(max 1 mb), we will decrypt them and send back to you. That is our guarantee.

.4.
Q: How to contact with you?
A: You can write us to our mailbox: pecunia0318@airmail.cc or pecunia0318@goat.si or pecunia0318@tutanota.com

.5.
Q: How will the decryption process proceed after payment?
A: After payment we will send to you our scanner-decoder program and detailed instructions for use. With this program you will be able to decrypt all your encrypted files.

.6.
Q: If I don’t want to pay bad people like you?
A: If you will not cooperate with our service - for us, its does not matter. But you will lose your time and data, cause only we have the private key. In practice - time is much more valuable than money.

:::BEWARE:::
DON\'T try to change encrypted files by yourself!
If you will try to use any third party software for restoring your data or antivirus solutions - please make a backup for all encrypted files!
Any changes in encrypted files may entail damage of the private key and, as result, the loss all data.

Screenshot of files with “.[pecunia0318@airmail.cc].pecunia” extension added by the ransomware:
Pecunia Ransomware - encrypt files with .[pecunia0318@airmail.cc].pecunia extension

Use GridinSoft Anti-Malware to remove Pecunia ransomware from your computer

1.Download GridinSoft Anti-Malware.

You can download GridinSoft Anti-Malware by clicking the button below:

  GridinSoft Anti-Malware

2. Double-click on the setup file.

When setup file has finished downloading, double-click on the setup-antimalware-ag.exe file to install GridinSoft Anti-Malware on your computer.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware
An User Account Control asking you about to allow GridinSoft Anti-Malware to make changes to your device. So, you should click “Yes” to continue with the installation.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware Setup

3. Press Install button for run GridinSoft Anti-Malware.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware Install

3.Once installed, GridinSoft Anti-Malware will automatically run.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware  Start

4. Wait for the GridinSoft Anti-Malware scan to complete.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware will automatically start scanning your computer for Win Speedup 2018 and other malicious programs. This process can take a 20-30 minutes, so we suggest you periodically check on the status of the scan process.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware Scan

5. Click on “Clean Now”.

When the scan has completed, you will see the list of infections that GridinSoft Anti-Malware has detected. To remove them click on the “Clean Now” button in right corner.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware Scan Result

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Daniel Zimmermann

Daniel Zimmermann has been writing on security and malware subjects for many years and has been working in the security industry for over 10 years. Daniel was educated at the Saarland University in Saarbrücken, Germany and currently lives in New York.

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