Do you know what LockMe Ransomware is?
LockMe Ransomware is a malicious infection that targets Windows users. The infection operates in a silent manner, and the victim is unlikely to notice when it slithers in or encrypts files. Encrypting personal files appears to be the only task this malicious threat has. After the encryption, it creates a file to introduce the victim to the ransom demands, and, after that, it is up to them to take action. Of course, the creator of the infection hopes that affected users will pay a ransom. It is not revealed how exactly the user would get their files decrypted, but if their files are not backed up, they are likely to be willing to do whatever it takes to recover them. Unfortunately, even if you fulfill every single demand twice, you are unlikely to get your files decrypted. That being said, you have no other option. Keep reading to learn more about the infection, as well as how to delete LockMe Ransomware.
As you probably know, there are hundreds of ransomware infections on the loose, some of the latest of them being DCRTR Ransomware, MBRlock Ransomware, Honor Ransomware, and Scarabey Ransomware. These threats are designed by different people, although, in some cases, they can be built using the same open source codes. While some differences are to be expected, in general, most of these threats are very similar. For example, in most cases, they spread using corrupted spam emails, and that is believed to be the method of distribution for LockMe Ransomware as well. When the infection slips in – which you are unlikely to notice or recognize – it immediately encrypts files. After that, a ransom note is represented via a file named README_FOR_DECRYPT_YOUR_FILES.txt. Note that the file is harmless and can be opened, but the information represented within it must be taken with a grain of salt. As mentioned previously, your files will not be recovered whether you pay the ransom or just remove LockMe Ransomware.
When LockMe Ransomware encrypts files and attaches the “.lockme” extension to their names, the ransom note is created immediately. The message within is meant to convince the user that they need to pay the ransom. The ransom demanded is 0.03 Bitcoin, and, at the time of research, that converted to around 330 USD. The ransom must be paid to the 1LockMeEPLr4ZRsoht8Wp6idBsT5TuBXtX address, and 4 transactions were already made during the analysis. The victims of LockMe Ransomware are also urged to contact LockMecQqL3Ruyi7V0RfZ@tutamail.com or LockMe9hG1F7pbWqThUt9P8@mailfence.com email address to communicate with the creator of the infection. The ransom note – which, by the way, can be shown in 54 languages – also includes several warnings. According to the first one, messing with the “.lockme” extension can permanently corrupt the files. According to the second one, failure to pay the ransom would result in the files being leaked. You should not pay attention to such warnings because they are meant to push you into paying the ransom.
Installing anti-malware software to remove LockMe Ransomware and reinstate Windows protection is strongly recommended. Even if you can delete the infection manually – which can be complicated because the launcher’s location and name are random – you need to protect your operating system, and so we suggest installing anti-malware software right off the bat. If you want to discuss this further, do not hesitate to start a conversation in the comments section.
Delete LockMe Ransomware
- Find and Delete the {unknown name}.exe file representing the ransomware.
- Delete the ransom note file, README_FOR_DECRYPT_YOUR_FILES.txt.
- Empty Recycle Bin and then immediately run a full system scan to check for leftover malware.
In non-techie terms:
You need to keep away from corrupted spam emails to avoid file-encrypting threats. LockMe Ransomware is one of them, and if it has slithered into your operating system already, your personal files are encrypted, and intimidating ransom demands must have been introduced to you. According to them, you have to pay a ransom of 0.03 Bitcoin to recover files; otherwise, they will be leaked online. This is just a scare tactic, and so you should not pay attention to it. You should not pay attention to the ransom demands either because you are unlikely to restore personal files even if you pay it and then contact cyber criminals successfully. You should do neither. Instead, you should go ahead and remove LockMe Ransomware. Deleting malware manually can be challenging, which is why we recommend installing anti-malware software to do it for you. Remember that this software, besides automatically deleting all existing threats, also can ensure full-time protection against ransomware in the future, which is why you must, at least, consider installing it.