Traders EXPOSED: .traders Files, README.TXT, and traders@mailum.com

You open Documents the way you did yesterday. The first photo should still be 1.jpg. The second shot should still be 2.png. Instead every familiar name has a victim ID and a second ending tacked on. 1.jpg is now 1.jpg.{C4FD8BC0-B92C-3E50-0D54-A8AAE232AC39}.traders. 2.png is now 2.png.{C4FD8BC0-B92C-3E50-0D54-A8AAE232AC39}.traders. A small text file named README.TXT is sitting in the same folder, as if it has always belonged there.

That is the trap, not a glitch. It is also not a broker, not a trading desk, and not a platform that lost your login. Traders here is the locker that stamps .traders on the files. The name on the note is a brand the operators picked. It is not a reason to call a real firm and ask if they “handle this.”

This page is for the hour those names appear. It is not a miracle key. It is a map of the trap, so README.TXT does not become your incident plan.

Overview

Traders ransomware locks the files first. Then it keeps the old name and the old type, hangs a victim ID in braces, and stamps .traders on the end. Then it drops README.TXT and talks like a recovery desk. The note is a storefront. It shouts YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED. It says you cannot decrypt the pile yourself. It says the only way back is to buy a unique private key. It points you at traders@mailum.com. It tells you to download Session messenger and add a long ID. It offers one free file that “must not be of any value.” It gives you 24 hours. It claims they have been in the network a long time and already uploaded data. It says the data will be sold and published if you do not write. It prints no wallet. It prints no onion site. It prints no $ figure.

If you are staring at a pile of names that end in .traders and that text note, you are in a ransom incident, not a broken disk and not a Windows pop-up. The folder is the evidence. The note is a checkout. Stay with the folder, not with the script. Stay away from anyone who wants to “talk to Traders for you” as if this were a brokerage dispute.

The first tell is the rename. In the sample used for this page, 1.jpg becomes 1.jpg.{C4FD8BC0-B92C-3E50-0D54-A8AAE232AC39}.traders. 2.png becomes 2.png.{C4FD8BC0-B92C-3E50-0D54-A8AAE232AC39}.traders. You can still read what the file used to be. You cannot open it. Windows may call the type a TRADERS File and offer a useless “choose an app” box. An app cannot talk locked bytes back into a JPEG. Do not invent a second ID because a later helper shows a different brace string. The ID in that sample is the one on this page. Yours may differ. The ending .traders is the brand.

The second tell is the note. After the files are locked, the malware drops README.TXT into the same folders. README sounds like documentation. TXT is the type Windows already trusts. Put them together and the first English you can still read after the photos break is a sales flyer. The flyer is meant to be opened. It is not meant to be trusted.

The body of that sample is busy on purpose. YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED. Documents, photos, databases, and other important files are encrypted. You will not be able to decrypt it yourself. The only way is to buy a unique private key. Only they can give you this key. To make sure they have a decryptor, you can mail them and decrypt one file for free, but that file must not be of any value. MAIL: traders@mailum.com. Session: download the Session messenger, then “You fined me” and a quoted ID: 0521cec653f519982a9af271f7ada8a41df1874549be9df509f6e8e0f2f53bb029. Attention: do not rename encrypted files. Do not try third-party software. A third party may add a fee or turn into fraud. They claim they have been in the network a long time, know everything about the company, and already uploaded most of the information. You have 24 hours to contact them. Otherwise the data will be sold and published.

That is the whole pitch. A locked folder of victim IDs plus .traders. A README.TXT file that talks like a recovery brief. One Mailum inbox. One Session ID. A one-file bait. A 24-hour fuse. A leak threat. No printed wallet. No printed onion. No printed $ amount. There is no public free decryptor known for this strain. There is no reason to mail that inbox today because a text file told you to. There is no reason to add that Session ID. There is no reason to treat this as a trading firm with a help desk.

The victim ID plus .traders is the first warning

Most lockers pick an extension so you notice the change in seconds. Traders uses a victim ID in braces, then .traders. The extra cruelty is how readable the listing stays. You do not have to decode anything. You can still see 1.jpg inside 1.jpg.{C4FD8BC0-B92C-3E50-0D54-A8AAE232AC39}.traders. You can still see 2.png inside the second sample. The familiar words are still in the folder. The files are not familiar anymore.

Do not treat that readable name as a fix. Do not strip .traders off the end and expect Photos to open the file. Do not delete the brace block because it looks like junk. Do not run a bulk “extension fixer” you found in an ad. The name is a label. The lock is in the content. Editing the label can make a later trusted tool have a harder time matching the file to what it was. Leave the locked copies as they are until you have a clean machine and a plan that does not start in a criminal inbox or a Session chat.

The extra ending also does advertising. Anyone who sees 1.jpg.{C4FD8BC0-B92C-3E50-0D54-A8AAE232AC39}.traders next to README.TXT can pretend they already have your case. A later fake helper will quote the extension back to you as if that were expertise. The extension is public. It is sitting in the folder. Quoting it proves nothing except that they can read a listing. Quoting Traders as if it were a licensed broker proves even less. It is a file ending. It is not a company you hired.

README.TXT is a sales floor, not a help file

The ransom note is a plain text file with a name that sounds like documentation. README.TXT wants the first click after the panic. Plenty of real software drops a readme. This one uses that habit against you. It is meant to be the first English you can still read when the photos will not open.

Double-clicking it opens Notepad. That is why a panicked first click feels like opening the help page. It is not help. It is the demand, written so it looks official enough to follow. The filename is built to look like paperwork. README. A .TXT ending Windows already trusts. Paperwork is easier to obey than a threat. The body even uses an Attention list, the way a real installer might warn you not to close a window.

Keep the file on disk. Then close it. Do not treat it as a set of steps you should follow. Do not tidy the filename. Do not shorten it to “the readme” when you write the incident down. Copy README.TXT the way you would copy a serial off a stolen laptop. That string is how a responder matches this locker. It is not a coupon you redeem by mailing traders@mailum.com or by adding 0521cec653f519982a9af271f7ada8a41df1874549be9df509f6e8e0f2f53bb029 in Session.

YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED is a shout, not a lab report

The first line of the sample is not a diagnosis. It is a headline. YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED does the same job a fake breaking-news banner does on a supplement page. It names the disaster in capital letters so the rest of the flyer feels like the only adult in the room. You are supposed to stop thinking and start obeying.

The shout is also a brand. Later search ads will quote it. Later “helpers” will paste it so they sound close to your folder. Anyone can copy a headline. Copying YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED does not mean they can reverse .traders. It means they read the same note you did, or they read a screenshot of it.

If the shout is sitting in more than one folder, that is normal for this family. Lockers drop the same text in many places so you cannot miss it. Finding five copies is not five incidents. It is one incident with a loud flyer. Keep one clean copy as evidence. You do not need to open every copy. You do not need to compare them in mail to traders@mailum.com.

Unique private key is a costume, not a key in your hand

The note says you cannot decrypt the files yourself. It says the only way is to buy a unique private key. Only they can give you this key, and only they can recover your files. That pair is meant to shut down argument. Unique sounds personal. Private sounds technical. Key sounds like a real object you can purchase. It is still attacker copy. Naming a key is not the same as handing you a proof. It is also not a reason to start mailing samples into an inbox they own.

What the note is actually selling is helplessness. If the lock is “impossible” without their key, then their mail is the only aisle. If the lock is “impossible,” then 24 hours starts to feel like the last remaining lever. Naming a unique private key does not put a file on your desk. It does not prove they still have a key. It does not prove they will send one if you write traders@mailum.com. It does not prove Session will be any kinder.

People hear “unique private key” and go looking for a matching “Traders decryptor” in ads. That search is the next trap. A tool that promises to reverse .traders because a ransom note printed the word key is selling the same fear in a different window. Leave the locked files alone. Do not feed them to a mystery app that asked for admin rights because a text file named a key.

traders@mailum.com is checkout, not support

The printed mail contact is traders@mailum.com. That is the aisle. A private inbox puts you in a room they own, on an account they can delete, with a thread they can screenshot and reuse. Email would feel like a ticket. This email is not a ticket. It is how a locked photo becomes a negotiation. Mailum is just the host they chose. It is not a seal of quality. It is not a reason to treat the address as a vendor.

Do not open a fresh mail account because the note said to. Do not send a test file to prove you are a real victim. Do not paste a folder listing into a new message. Do not argue about a price that is not even printed, as if a discount were available. Those addresses belong to the people who locked the files. Writing them is the product. A 0% reply rate still counts as a win for them if you attached 1.jpg.{C4FD8BC0-B92C-3E50-0D54-A8AAE232AC39}.traders “just to see.”

The handle is branding, the same way .traders is branding. Anyone can stand up a lookalike inbox after a wave of locked folders. Writing the first message does not start a warranty. It starts a conversation you cannot enforce. The 24-hour line is how they make that first message feel overdue before you have even sat down. Overdue is how a later $ bill can still appear, even though this flyer printed no $ amount at all.

The Session ID is a second aisle, not a private line

The note also pushes Session messenger. It tells you to download Session. Then it prints You fined me, a typo for find, and quotes 0521cec653f519982a9af271f7ada8a41df1874549be9df509f6e8e0f2f53bb029. That string is long on purpose. It looks like a case number. It looks like something you must paste exactly or the “ticket” will fail. It is still a contact they control. Adding it is the same checkout as mail, only in an app they told you to install.

Do not add that Session ID. Do not install a messenger because a ransom note named it. Do not paste the ID into a “Session checker” a stranger sends. Do not photograph the ID into a family group so a cousin can “try it for you.” Copy the string only into an incident record. The ID is how you prove this was this strain. It is not a handle you owe a message. 0% of that chat is a contract. 0% of that chat opens 2.png.{C4FD8BC0-B92C-3E50-0D54-A8AAE232AC39}.traders.

A later helper will offer to add the ID for you. That is still the same shop, or a second shop standing in the same doorway. The printed ID already did the quoting. Your job, in their script, is to walk through the door. Do not complete it.

One free file is bait, not a warranty

The sample offers a test. Send an email and they will decrypt one file for free. But this file must not be of any value. That line is not kindness. A junk file is cheap for them to unlock if they still have a key. It is expensive for you, because the unlock trains you to keep talking. It also trains you to pick which photo “does not matter,” which is a conversation they want.

Do not send 1.jpg.{C4FD8BC0-B92C-3E50-0D54-A8AAE232AC39}.traders as a sample. Do not send a blank spreadsheet you created after the lock. Do not send a screenshot of Explorer. A demo that “unlocks one file” is not proof they can unlock the rest. Anyone can return one junk object they control. Anyone can stall, then raise a price the original note never printed. The free file is how they get the first mail. The first mail is how they get the rest.

24 hours is a fuse, not a courtesy

The note says you have 24 hours to contact them. Otherwise the data will be sold and published. A clock is not a kindness. A clock is how they steal the night. You are supposed to feel that waiting until morning is already a mistake. You are supposed to feel that a Session ping at 2 a.m. is the responsible move.

Do not invent a second timer because a forum post said “they only wait 12 hours.” Do not treat 24 hours as a legal deadline. It is a sentence in a text file. The CISA StopRansomware Guide is blunt about this kind of squeeze. Paying does not ensure the files come back, does not ensure the systems are clean, and does not ensure anyone on the other side keeps a promise. Writing inside 24 hours does not improve those odds. It only starts their clock on you.

The leak line is a second bill

After the lock, the note claims they have been in the network a long time. They know everything about your company. Most of your information is already uploaded to their servers. If you waste time, they will start the second part. If you miss the 24 hours, the data will be sold and published. That is a second product. File encryption is the first. Shame is the second.

Treat a leak claim as a threat, not as a completed fact you have to verify with them. Do not mail traders@mailum.com to “ask what they took.” Do not add the Session ID to “negotiate the leak.” Do not pay $1 to pause a publication you have not even seen. If this is a company machine, tell counsel and your incident lead. If this is a home PC, tell the people whose files lived on it. Change passwords from a clean device. Watch bank and email alerts. Their upload sentence is leverage. It is not a status page you refresh in Session.

This is not a broker, and the $ blank is still a checkout

The word Traders on the extension will send some people to a real firm, a forex ad, or a “recovery broker” who promises to speak to the gang. That is the mix-up the name invites. This locker is not a market. It is not a desk. It is not an exchange that can reverse a trade. Do not call a legitimate company and demand they unlock .traders files. Do not pay a middleman who says they already have a relationship with traders@mailum.com. They read the same note.

The sample also prints no wallet, no onion, and no $ figure. That absence is not mercy. A missing price makes you write so they can quote you in private. Public copies should not invent a Bitcoin address to finish the sentence. This page will not invent one. If a later message fills in a wallet, a $ amount, or an onion URL the original README.TXT never showed, that is still the same shop, or a copycat standing in the same doorway. Do not complete their checkout. Do not help them fix the flyer.

How The Attack Works

The shop is simple once you stop reading it as a rescue. Lock the files. Brand the names with a victim ID and .traders. Drop a readme that shouts ENCRYPT and names a unique private key. Point the scared person at traders@mailum.com. Print a Session ID. Offer one worthless file as bait. Light a 24-hour fuse. Threaten a leak. Skip the wallet. Skip the $ amount. Then wait for someone else to sell a conversation with a “broker” who is not a broker.

1. The lock keeps the old name and stamps a victim ID

Traders encrypts the files it wants as leverage, then appends a victim ID in braces and .traders. That is why 1.jpg is still readable as 1.jpg.{C4FD8BC0-B92C-3E50-0D54-A8AAE232AC39}.traders. The operators want you to inventory the damage in seconds. They want you to see the photo, the second image, and every other familiar word in one glance. A coded filename can confuse you. A readable filename makes you feel the theft. The ID makes it feel personal, as if the locker already opened a case file on you.

If only one folder looks wrong, do not assume the rest of the disk is safe. Ransomware walks trees. It hits Documents, Desktop, Pictures, Downloads, and any drive letter it can reach, including a USB stick you forgot was plugged in. Unplug extra disks. Do not plug in a copy “just to check.” Checking is how the extra copy gets the same victim ID and the same .traders ending.

Double-clicking a renamed file does not bring the photo back. The thumbnail may already look broken. Photos may ask for a JPEG that is still sitting in the same folder, only the bytes inside are no longer a JPEG. That broken open is the first proof. The second proof is the extra ending. Together they are enough. You do not need to mail traders@mailum.com to confirm what you are looking at. You do not need to add the Session ID to “verify the victim ID.”

2. README.TXT turns a break-in into a ticket

Once the names are branded, the malware needs a voice. README.TXT is that voice. It sits in the same folders as the locked files so the first sort puts help next to harm. On many machines a text file sorts near the top, especially with a name in capitals. You open it because it looks like the only thing that still speaks English.

The body is long enough to feel like policy and short enough to finish before a relative walks into the room. Encrypted. Unique private key. One free file. MAIL. Session. Attention. 24 hours. Leak. Each beat closes a door. The shout closes “maybe Windows just glitched.” The key line closes “maybe it is a simple rename.” The inbox and Session ID close “maybe there is a local tool.” The 24-hour line closes “maybe I should wait overnight” by handing you a fuse. The leak line closes “maybe this is only my photos” by threatening the rest of the company story.

Notice what the note does not give you. It does not give you a company you can sue, a refund policy, or a way to prove the other side will ever send a key. It does not give you a wallet. It does not give you a $ amount. It gives you a tone that says this is already decided. That tone is the product. Read the file as a sales flyer. Then close it. Keep it on disk.

3. YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED is the opening shout

The first line of the sample is a headline, not a technician. YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED names the disaster in one breath. You are supposed to feel outmatched before you have even reached the contact line. Capital letters do that work. Together with the unique private key sentence they make the inbox feel like the only adult move left.

The shout also travels. Search ads will recycle it. Commenters will paste it. A later “Traders helper” will recite it so they sound close to your Documents folder. Reciting a headline is not a decryptor. It is proof they can read. Keep the line as an identifier when you describe the incident. Do not treat it as a diagnosis you have to obey. Do not treat the word Traders in that headline as a market you can call.

4. Unique private key closes the argument

After the shout, the note rests on a unique private key as if a famous phrase were a receipt. That pair is meant to end the conversation you have not even started. Unique plus private plus key sounds like math you cannot beat at the kitchen table. It is still a sales paragraph. It is not a lab report. It is not a reason to skip copies that were never mounted. It is not a reason to skip a trusted decryptor project later if one appears.

You do not need to argue cryptography with a text file. You need to stop treating the file as a technician. Leave 1.jpg.{C4FD8BC0-B92C-3E50-0D54-A8AAE232AC39}.traders named as it is. Leave README.TXT where it is. The key printed in that note is part of the pitch. It is not a recovery procedure. Buying it is not a repair. Mailing for it is not a repair.

5. traders@mailum.com is the door they want you to walk through

The recovery step in the sample is mail. MAIL: traders@mailum.com. That is the whole first door. It looks like support because support uses email. Criminal shops use email too, because a thread is where a missing $ amount becomes a quote and a locked photo becomes a sample they asked you to attach.

Do not write that inbox. Do not create a throwaway account “just to see.” Do not send a screenshot of Explorer to prove the lock. They already chose the extension. They already chose the note name. A photo of README.TXT sitting next to 1.jpg.{C4FD8BC0-B92C-3E50-0D54-A8AAE232AC39}.traders does not make you a verified customer. It makes you a person still following the flyer.

If someone later says they will “talk to Traders for you” through that same address, that is a broker pitch. Brokers need you in the same funnel. You do not owe them a seat. Report the incident through official desks. Let counsel decide if contact is ever required for a specific legal reason. That decision is not yours to make from the Documents folder at midnight.

6. The Session ID is the second door

Plenty of lockers hide in one inbox. This one prints a second path. Download Session. You fined me. Then 0521cec653f519982a9af271f7ada8a41df1874549be9df509f6e8e0f2f53bb029. Two doors raise the odds that a panicked person picks at least one. Mail feels official. Session feels faster. Faster is the point of a 24-hour fuse.

Do not add that Session ID. Do not install the app because the note named it. Do not paste the ID into a second device “so the chat is safer.” A second device is still their room. A private messenger is still a log they can screenshot. Copy the ID into the incident record. Then leave it alone. If a later helper says the ID is expired and they have a new one, they are rewriting the flyer. The sample used for this page prints that string. Do not invent a replacement.

7. One free file and 24 hours keep you moving

The sample offers a test decrypt and a 24-hour clock in the same breath. Those two lines work as a pair. The free file makes contact feel low risk. The clock makes delay feel expensive. Together they push you through the door before anyone else in the house is awake.

Do not send a small file because the original note offered a test. Do not start a personal countdown on the fridge. Do not treat “must not be of any value” as a puzzle you can solve by picking a blurry photo. The published flyer already named the bait. Leave the bait on the page. Silence is not rude here. Silence is how you stay out of their queue. A relative, an insurer, or an incident lead can still talk on a phone. The people who locked the files do not get a seat in that call.

8. The leak threat and the Attention list do extra work

The Attention block tells you not to rename encrypted files, not to use third-party software, and not to let a third party add a fee. Then it claims a long stay in the network, an upload to their servers, a second part if you waste time, and a sale or publication after 24 hours. That is a lot of theater for a text file. The rename warning is almost useful, because renaming really can make recovery harder. They still do not get to be your incident lead. They are using a true risk to sell their inbox.

The third-party warning is also a market defense. They do not want you talking to anyone else, including a real responder. “They add their fee to ours” pretends there is already a price, even though this flyer printed no $ figure. Do not let that sentence invent a bill. Do not pay a second crew to “avoid the fee.” Do not pay the first crew to “avoid the leak.” The leak line is pressure. It is not a shipping tracker.

9. Third parties will sell a Traders conversation

After a ransomware incident, search results fill up with companies that say they can decrypt Traders or “all .traders files.” Some of those shops are ordinary overpriced consultants. Plenty are a second scam. They will quote README.TXT so they sound close to the case. They will mention traders@mailum.com. They will mention the Session ID. They will mention 24 hours. They will mention the leak. They will ask for a sample file, a remote-access session, or a deposit. They may even call themselves brokers, as if this were a trade they can unwind.

A demo that “unlocks one file” is not proof they can unlock the rest of the folder. Anyone can open one junk file they control. Anyone can send you a wallet string that makes an exchange window appear, even though the original note printed none. An exchange window is not Photos opening 1.jpg again. If a later message skips the original inbox and asks for coin over ordinary mail, that is still the same market, or a copycat standing in the same doorway. Do not answer. Do not help them set a wallet the public sample never printed.

A real public decryptor, when one exists, shows up on an official project page that already existed before your incident. It does not need a Session add. It does not need traders@mailum.com. If the pitch is “we can decrypt, pay us first,” you are still in the market the ransomware created. There is no public free decryptor known for this strain. Until a trusted project publishes one, treat any site that says “we already have the Traders key” as a second sales pitch. A $0 tool from a trusted project is the exception that would announce itself without a Mailum thread.

10. Payment, mail, and Session close nothing

Paying a stranger for a private key is not a guarantee. The people who send the note can take the money and disappear. They can send a string that only makes a decryptor show an error. They can come back later and lock the same machine again. A mail thread or a Session chat makes that outcome easier, not harder. You cannot leave a review on a criminal inbox. You cannot leave a review on a Session ID.

Mailing traders@mailum.com is the free version of the same dead end. Adding 0521cec653f519982a9af271f7ada8a41df1874549be9df509f6e8e0f2f53bb029 is the faster version. There is no public free decryptor known for this strain. Starting a thread does not rebuild a JPEG. It only keeps you in their story while the rest of the disk still needs a real plan. A $1 “good faith” send is still a payment. It still tells them this victim pays.

If this is a company machine, tell counsel and your incident lead. If this is a home PC, tell the people whose files lived on it. Change passwords from a clean device. Watch bank and email alerts. Opening that inbox again is not useful work. Adding that Session ID is not useful work. It is the checkout, even when the flyer left the $ line blank.

What To Do

Do not pay. Do not mail traders@mailum.com. Do not add the Session ID 0521cec653f519982a9af271f7ada8a41df1874549be9df509f6e8e0f2f53bb029. Do not invent a wallet, an onion, or a $ figure to finish README.TXT. Do not send a test file, even one you think has no value. Do not treat this as a broker ticket. If you already sent a message before you found this page, stop there. Do not pay a deposit to “hold the original 24 hours” for anyone who quotes the note.

• STEP 1: Use Rkill to terminate suspicious programs.
• STEP 2: Use Malwarebytes to remove for Ransomware and Unwanted Programs
• STEP 3: Use HitmanPro to remove Trojans and other Malware
• STEP 4: Use AdwCleaner to remove Malicious Browser Extensions and Adware
• STEP 5: Perform a final check with ESET Online Scanner
• STEP 6: Restore the files encrypted by ransomware

STEP 1: Use Rkill to terminate suspicious programs.

In this first step, we will download and run Rkill to terminate suspicious programs that may be running on your computer.

RKill is a program that was developed at BleepingComputer.com that attempts to terminate known malware processes so that your normal security software can then run and clean your computer of infections. When RKill runs it will kill malware processes and then removes incorrect executable associations and fixes policies that stop us from using certain tools.

1. Download Rkill.

   You can download RKill to your computer from the below link. When at the download page, click on the Download Now button labeled iExplore.exe. We are downloading a renamed version of Rkill (iExplore.exe) because some malware will not allow processes to run unless they have a certain filename.

   

   RKILL DOWNLOAD LINK
   (The above link will open a new page from where you can download Rkill)

2. Run RKill.

   After downloading, double-click the iExplore.exe icon to kill malicious processes. In most cases, downloaded files are saved to the Downloads folder.
   The program may take some time to search for and end various malware programs.

   

   When it is finished, the black window will close automatically and a log file will open. Do not restart your computer. Proceed to the next step in this guide.

STEP 2: Use Malwarebytes to remove Ransomware and Unwanted Programs

In this second step, we will install Malwarebytes to scan and remove any infections, adware, or potentially unwanted programs that may be present on your computer.

Malwarebytes is one of the most popular and trusted anti-malware tools for Windows — and it’s completely free for removing infections. It catches threats that many antivirus programs miss, including adware, browser hijackers, and trojans. Follow the steps below to scan and clean your PC in just a few minutes.

1. Download Malwarebytes

   Click the button below to download the latest version of Malwarebytes for Windows from the official source. The free version is all you need — it will scan your computer and remove adware, browser hijackers, and other malicious software at no cost.

   

   DOWNLOAD MALWAREBYTES FOR WINDOWS (FREE)
   
   (The link opens in a new page where your download will start)

2. Install Malwarebytes

   When the download finishes, open your Downloads folder and double-click the MBSetup file. If Windows shows a User Account Control pop-up, click “Yes” to allow the installation.

   

3. Follow the On-Screen Prompts to Install Malwarebytes

   The setup wizard will walk you through a few quick screens:

   • Choose where you’re installing the program — “Personal Computer” or “Work Computer” — then click Next.

     

   • Malwarebytes will now install on your device. This usually takes under a minute.

     

   • When installation is complete, the “Welcome to Malwarebytes” screen will open automatically.

     

   • On the final screen, click Open Malwarebytes to launch the program.

     

4. Enable “Scan for Rootkits”

   Before scanning, turn on rootkit detection so Malwarebytes can find even the most hidden threats. Click the Settings gear icon on the left side of the screen.

   

   In the settings menu, find “Scan for rootkits” and click the toggle so it turns blue.

   

   Done? Click “Dashboard” in the left pane to return to the main screen.

5. Start the Scan

   Click the blue Scan button. Malwarebytes will automatically update its virus database and start checking your computer for malware.

   

6. Wait for the Scan to Finish

   The scan checks your entire system for browser hijackers and other malicious programs, so it can take several minutes. Feel free to do something else — just check back occasionally to see the progress.

   

7. Quarantine the Detected Threats

   When the scan is done, you’ll see a list of everything Malwarebytes found — malware, adware, and potentially unwanted programs. Click the “Quarantine” button to remove all of them at once.

   

   Malwarebytes will now remove the malicious files and registry entries and move them safely into quarantine.

   

8. Restart Your Computer

   Some threats can only be fully removed after a reboot. If Malwarebytes asks you to restart, click Yes. Once you’re logged back in, your PC is clean and you can continue with the next steps in this guide.

   

STEP 3: Use HitmanPro to remove Rootkits and other Malware

In this third step, while the computer is in normal back, we will download and run a scan with HitmanPro to remove Trojans, rootkits, and other malicious programs.

HitmanPro is a second-opinion scanner — it’s designed to catch what your main antivirus might have missed. Instead of relying on a single detection engine, it checks the behavior of files in the locations where malware usually hides. Anything suspicious gets sent to the cloud, where it’s analyzed by two of the best antivirus engines available: Bitdefender and Kaspersky.

Good news: scanning is completely free, with no limits. You only need a license when it’s time to remove what was found — and even then, you can activate a free one-time 30-day trial to clean your PC at no cost. (A full license is $24.95 per year for 1 PC.)

1. Download HitmanPro

   Click the button below to download HitmanPro. Remember — the scan is free, so you have nothing to lose by checking your PC.

   DOWNLOAD HITMANPRO (FREE SCAN)
   (The link opens in a new page where your download will start)

2. Install HitmanPro

   When the download finishes, open your Downloads folder and double-click the file: “hitmanpro.exe” on 32-bit Windows, or “hitmanpro_x64.exe” on 64-bit Windows.

   

   If a User Account Control pop-up asks whether HitmanPro can make changes to your device, click “Yes” to continue.

   

3. Follow the On-Screen Prompts

   On the HitmanPro start screen, click “Next” to begin the system scan. No lengthy setup required — it goes straight to work.

   

   

4. Wait for the Scan to Finish

   HitmanPro will now check your computer for malicious programs. This usually takes just a few minutes thanks to its cloud-based scanning.
   

5. Review the Results and Click “Next”

   When the scan is done, HitmanPro will show you everything it found. Click “Next” to remove the detected threats.

   

6. Click “Activate Free License”

   To remove the malicious files, click the “Activate free license” button. This starts your free 30-day trial — no payment details needed — and unlocks the full cleanup.
   

   When the removal is complete, HitmanPro will show a summary of everything it cleaned. Click Next, then click Reboot if prompted. If there’s no reboot prompt, just click Close — your PC is clean.

STEP 4: Use AdwCleaner to remove Malicious Browser Extensions and Adware

In this next step, we will use AdwCleaner to remove malicious browser policies and unwanted browser extensions from your computer.

AdwCleaner is a free on-demand scanner that specializes in adware, browser hijackers, and unwanted toolbars — the exact threats that mainstream antivirus programs often miss. It also includes tools that repair the damage malware leaves behind, like hijacked browser settings and malicious policies. It’s a quick scan that’s well worth running.

1. Download AdwCleaner

   Click the button below to download AdwCleaner — it’s free, portable, and requires no installation.

   

   DOWNLOAD ADWCLEANER (FREE)
   (The link opens in a new page where your download will start)

2. Run AdwCleaner

   Open your Downloads folder and double-click the file named “adwcleaner_x.x.x.exe“. There’s no installation — the program starts right away.
   

   If Windows asks whether you want to allow AdwCleaner to run, click “Yes“. When the license agreement appears, click I agree to continue.

   

3. Enable “Reset Chrome policies”

   This setting removes malicious browser policies — a trick malware uses to lock your browser settings so you can’t change them back. Click “Settings” on the left side of the window, then turn on “Reset Chrome policies“.

   

4. Start the Scan

   Click “Dashboard” on the left side of the window, then click the “Scan” button.

   

5. Wait for the Scan to Finish

   AdwCleaner will now check your computer for adware and other malware. This usually takes only a few minutes — it’s one of the fastest scanners around.

   

6. Quarantine the Detected Threats

   When the scan finishes, AdwCleaner will list everything it found. Click the “Quarantine” button to remove all the malicious items at once.

   

7. Click “Continue” to Finish the Cleanup

   Save any open work first — AdwCleaner needs to close your open programs before it can clean. When you’re ready, click the “Continue” button.
   

   AdwCleaner will now delete all detected malware from your computer. If it asks you to restart your PC, allow it — your computer will be clean when you log back in.

STEP 5: Perform a final check with ESET Online Scanner

This final step involves installing and running a scan with ESET Online Scanner to check for any additional malicious programs that may be installed on the computer..

ESET Online Scanner is a free second-opinion scanner that performs a deep, full-system check for viruses, trojans, rootkits, and other malware. We use it as the final step because it’s thorough — if anything slipped past the previous scans, ESET will find it. A clean result here means your computer is malware-free.

1. Download ESET Online Scanner

   Click the button below to download ESET Online Scanner.

   

   DOWNLOAD ESET ONLINE SCANNER (FREE)
   (The link opens in a new page where your download will start)

2. Run the Installer

   When the download finishes, open your Downloads folder and double-click “esetonlinescanner.exe“.
   

3. Install ESET Online Scanner

   On the start screen, select your language from the drop-down menu and click Get started.

   

   On the Terms of use screen, click Accept.
   

   Choose your preferences for the Customer Experience Improvement Program and the Detection feedback system (either choice is fine), then click Continue.
   

4. Start a Full Scan

   Click Full Scan — this checks your entire computer, not just the common hiding spots.

   

   Select Enable for Detection of Potentially Unwanted Applications — this lets ESET catch adware and bundled junk programs, not just viruses. Then click Start scan.

   

5. Wait for the Scan to Finish

   ESET will now check every file on your computer. Because it’s a full scan, this can take a while — often an hour or more, depending on how much data you have. Leave it running in the background and check on it from time to time.

   

6. Review the Results

   When the scan completes, the Found and resolved detections screen appears. Any threats found were automatically cleaned and quarantined — there’s nothing extra you need to do. Click View detailed results if you want to see exactly what was removed.
   

   If ESET found nothing — congratulations, your computer has passed the final check and is malware-free.

STEP 6: Restore the files encrypted by ransomware

Unfortunately, in most cases, it’s not possible to recover the files encrypted by this ransomware virus because the private key which is needed to unlock the encrypted files is only available through the attackers. However, below we’ve listed three options you can use to try and recover your files.

Option 1: Search a decryption tool for this ransomware

The cybersecurity community is constantly working to create ransomware decryption tools, so you can try to search these sites for updates:

• https://id-ransomware.malwarehunterteam.com/
• https://decrypter.emsisoft.com/
• https://noransom.kaspersky.com/
• https://www.avast.com/ransomware-decryption-tools

Option 2: Use EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free to recover the encrypted files

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free can restore files and repair corrupted files with simple clicks. Its powerful scanning algorithms can identify and retrieve huge file type library, including all of the popular video files, audio files, photos, and document formats.
While the free version only allows you to recover 2 GB of data, this can be helpful to see if the recovery is possible and restore back the most important files from your computer.

1. Download EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free.

   You can download EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free by clicking the link below.

   

   EASEUS DATA RECOVERY WIZARD FREE DOWNLOAD LINK
   (The above link will open a new page from where you can download EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard)

2. Double-click on the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free setup file.

   When EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free has finished downloading, double-click on the setup file to install EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard on your computer. In most cases, downloaded files are saved to the Downloads folder.

   

   You may be presented with a User Account Control pop-up asking if you want to allow EaseUS to make changes to your device. If this happens, you should click “Yes” to continue with the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free installation.

3. Follow the on-screen prompts to install EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard.

   When the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard installation begins, click on the “Install Now” as seen in the image below.
   

   When your EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard installation completes, click the “Start Now” button to start the program.
   

4. Select a location to start recovering the encrypted files.

   Choose the drive or folder where you are the encrypted files that you want to recover and click “Scan“.
   

5. Wait for the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard scan to complete.

   EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard will now scan your computer files that can be restored. This process can take a few minutes, so we suggest you do something else and periodically check on the status of the scan to see when it is finished.
   

6. Find the files you want to recover.

   When the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard scan is finished scanning it will show a screen that displays the files that can be recovered. This tool can recover a lot of data, use the “Filter” button to quickly filter specific file types and find the files that you want to recover.
   

   Click the “Preview” button or double-click on a file for a full preview.
   

7. Select your files and click “Recover”.

   Finally, select the the files you want to recover and click “Recover“.
   
   Choose a safe location to save all the files.
   
   The free version only allow you to recover 2 GB of data, however, this will allow you to recover the most important files and see if EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard can correctly recover them.
   

Option 3: Try to restore your files with ShadowExplorer

This ransomware will attempt to delete all shadow copies when you first start any executable on your computer after becoming infected. Thankfully, the infection is not always able to remove the shadow copies, so you should continue to try restoring your files using this method.

1. Download ShadowExplorer.

   You can download ShadowExplorer from the below link.

   SHADOW EXPLORER DOWNLOAD LINK
   (This link will open a new web page from where you can download “ShadowExplorer”)

2. Install ShadowExplorer.

   Double-click on the ShadowExplorer-x.x-setup file to start the installation process, then follow the on-screen promts to install this program.
   

3. Select snapshot date.

   Open ShadowExplorer and then from the top bar select the drive where the files that you want to save are located, then select from the snapshot available one previous to this infection.

   

4. Export the files that you want to recover.

   Once you have found a copy of the original file or folder, right-click on it and the select “Export”. A window will prompt you where you want to save the file or folder.
   

Keep every .traders name exactly as it is. Do not bulk-rename 1.jpg.{C4FD8BC0-B92C-3E50-0D54-A8AAE232AC39}.traders back to 1.jpg, or 2.png.{C4FD8BC0-B92C-3E50-0D54-A8AAE232AC39}.traders back to 2.png. Do not strip the brace ID because it looks ugly. Stripping the extra ending is not a repair. It can make a later trusted tool worse, not better. The original name is already sitting in front of the victim ID and .traders. You do not need to edit it to know what you lost.

Keep README.TXT with the locked files. Keep at least one .traders sample next to it. Do not “clean up” every copy of the note. Do not fill in a wallet so the flyer looks complete. The blank $ line, or any string on your disk, is part of how you prove this was this strain and not a different locker that only sounds similar. Keep the contact marks as identifiers: traders@mailum.com, the Session ID, the 24-hour line, and the unique private key shout. Those artifacts are evidence. They are not instructions you should carry out.

Do not pay. Do not mail that inbox. Do not add that Session ID. Do not ask a friend to write them “just to see.” A calm address is still the people who locked the files. A long Session string is still the people who locked the files. If a later message quotes README.TXT and offers “the real wallet,” that is still the same shop. If a later message skips the original inbox and asks for coin over a different address, that is still the same shop, or a copycat standing in the same doorway. If someone calls themselves a broker for .traders files, they are selling a conversation, not a market.

If someone claims they can already decrypt Traders files for a fee because they can recite the Mailum inbox and the Session ID, they are selling a report, not a key. If they mention traders@mailum.com as proof they “already called the crew,” they read the same note you did. Do not answer. Do not complete their checkout. Do not help them fix the flyer. Do not add the Session ID for them.

If Windows still offers to pick an app for the .traders type, decline it. There is no player for that ending. There is no broker on the other side of that box.

The Bottom Line

Traders ransomware is a locker with a readable filename, a readme that shouts ENCRYPT, and a checkout that names mail and Session. It keeps the old name, stamps a victim ID, and appends .traders. 1.jpg becomes 1.jpg.{C4FD8BC0-B92C-3E50-0D54-A8AAE232AC39}.traders. 2.png becomes 2.png.{C4FD8BC0-B92C-3E50-0D54-A8AAE232AC39}.traders. The note is README.TXT. It claims a unique private key, points you at traders@mailum.com, prints Session ID 0521cec653f519982a9af271f7ada8a41df1874549be9df509f6e8e0f2f53bb029, offers one worthless file, lights a 24-hour fuse, and threatens a leak. It prints no wallet, no onion, and no $ amount, and this page will not invent those. This is not a broker. There is no public free decryptor known for this strain.

Do not pay. Do not mail that inbox. Do not add that Session ID. Do not invent a wallet. Do not rename the pile in bulk. If you take one sentence with you, take this. A folder of names ending in a victim ID plus .traders, plus README.TXT with a unique private key shout, traders@mailum.com, and that Session ID, is ransomware on the first sighting. Treat it that way before anyone offers to fill the blank $ line or to “speak to Traders” like a desk that never existed.