LOCKED_X EXPOSED: .LOCKED_X Files, READ_ME.txt, and moniro@tutamail.com
Written by: Lapain Epuran
Published on:
You open Documents the way you did yesterday. The first photo should still be 1.jpg. The snapshot should still be 2.png. The installer copy should still be 3.exe. The vacation shot should still be vacation.jpg. The invoice should still be invoice-2026.pdf. Instead every familiar type is gone. 1.jpg is now 1.LOCKED_X. 2.png is now 2.LOCKED_X. 3.exe is now 3.LOCKED_X. A small text file named READ_ME.txt is sitting in the same folder, as if it has always belonged there.
That is the trap, not a glitch.
This page is for the hour those names appear. It is not a miracle key. It is a map of the trap, so the note does not become your incident plan.
Encrypted files after LOCKED_X. The .LOCKED_X names and READ_ME.txt are the tell.
Overview
LOCKED_X ransomware locks the files first. Then it strips the old type and hangs .LOCKED_X on the name. Then it drops READ_ME.txt and talks like a recovery desk. The note is a storefront. It shouts that all your files are encrypted. It tells you to pay 10,000 USDT to a TRC20 (TRON) address printed on the page: TNYjzN2ras4jqpb2Q4AK5SXcKUdhcZSGZs. After that send, it tells you to write moniro@tutamail.com. That is the whole costume.
If you are staring at a pile of .LOCKED_X files 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.
The first tell is the rename. In the sample used for this page, 1.jpg becomes 1.LOCKED_X. 2.png becomes 2.LOCKED_X. 3.exe becomes 3.LOCKED_X. vacation.jpg becomes vacation.LOCKED_X. invoice-2026.pdf becomes invoice-2026.LOCKED_X. The stem stays. The type does not. You can still guess what some files used to be from the leftover name. You cannot open them. Windows may call the type a LOCKED_X File and offer a useless “choose an app” box. An app cannot talk locked bytes back into a JPEG. There is 0% chance Photos can open 1.LOCKED_X because you picked a viewer.
The second tell is the note. After the files are locked, the malware drops READ_ME.txt into the same folders. READ_ME sounds like documentation. A .txt ending is something 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 short on purpose. — !!! ALL YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED !!! — Then: To recover your data, pay 10,000 USDT to the following address. Network: TRC20 (TRON). Address: TNYjzN2ras4jqpb2Q4AK5SXcKUdhcZSGZs. After payment, contact: moniro@tutamail.com. That is the whole costume.
There is no leak line. There is no countdown. There is no Session ID. There is no onion site. There is no second inbox. There is no unique victim ID to fill in. This page will not invent them. A missing clock is not a puzzle. A missing leak site is not a secret you should hunt. The note already named the only steps it wants: send 10,000 USDT to that TRC20 string, then write moniro@tutamail.com. Following those steps is the product.
That is the whole pitch. A locked folder of .LOCKED_X names. A READ_ME.txt file that talks like a recovery brief. A 10,000 USDT ask. One TRON wallet. One Tutamail inbox. Pay first, then write. 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 send that USDT. A $ send to people who already locked the photos is still a ransom, even when the flyer printed the coin as USDT instead of a $ sticker.
The .LOCKED_X name is the first warning
Most lockers pick an extension so you notice the change in seconds. This one uses .LOCKED_X. The extra cruelty is how the old type disappears. You do not see 1.jpg.LOCKED_X. You see 1.LOCKED_X. You do not see 2.png.LOCKED_X. You see 2.LOCKED_X. The familiar stem is still in the folder. The familiar type is not. A later guess that 1 was a JPEG is still a guess until a clean backup proves it.
Do not treat that leftover stem as a fix. Do not rename 1.LOCKED_X back to 1.jpg and expect Photos to open it. 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.
The new ending also does advertising. Anyone who sees 1.LOCKED_X next to READ_ME.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.
READ_ME.txt is a sales floor, not a help file
The ransom note is a plain text file with a name that sounds like documentation. READ_ME.txt wants the first click after the panic. Plenty of real software drops a READ_ME. 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. READ. ME. A .txt ending Windows already trusts. Paperwork is easier to obey than a threat.
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 READ_ME.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 moniro@tutamail.com.
ALL 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. — !!! ALL 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 ALL YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED so they sound close to your folder. Anyone can copy a headline. Copying those capitals does not mean they can reverse 1.LOCKED_X. 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 moniro@tutamail.com.
10,000 USDT is a price tag, not a repair
The printed ransom is 10,000 USDT. That number is large enough to feel like a finished invoice and still small enough, in attacker math, to feel “cheaper than rebuilding a life.” It is printed so you do not have to ask what it costs. Cheap is not the tactic here. Finished quoting is the tactic. A printed coin total is not a discount from a vendor who will still be there on Monday.
10,000 USDT does not buy a contract. It does not buy a clean machine. It does not buy a guarantee that vacation.LOCKED_X will open. It buys a TRON transfer to people who already locked your files, plus a mail thread they can drop whenever they like. 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.
The note already did the quoting. Your job, in their script, is checkout. Do not complete it. Do not convert 10,000 USDT into a $ figure in your head and decide it is “not that much if we pay today.” Do not “test” a smaller amount to see if they answer. A test payment is still a payment. It still tells them this victim pays. There is no extra victim $ on the flyer. This page will not invent one.
The TRC20 address is checkout, not a receipt
The note says pay 10,000 USDT to the following address, then prints Network: TRC20 (TRON), then prints Address: TNYjzN2ras4jqpb2Q4AK5SXcKUdhcZSGZs. That string is the register. A string of letters that looks like a wallet is still not a receipt, and it is not a reason to open an exchange they pointed at.
Copy that wallet only into an incident record. Do not type TNYjzN2ras4jqpb2Q4AK5SXcKUdhcZSGZs into an exchange. Do not photograph it into a group chat. Do not paste it into a second site that offers to “check if the wallet is real.” Do not invent a replacement address because a comment said the published sample was incomplete. Anyone can send you digits. Digits do not open 1.LOCKED_X.
A printed TRC20 line also gives copycats a job. They will sell a “corrected” string. They will say they have the operator’s real wallet. They will ask you to mail moniro@tutamail.com first, then paste what they send. That is still the same shop, or a second shop standing in the same doorway. The public flyer already printed the field. Do not finish a second one for them.
moniro@tutamail.com is checkout, not support
The printed contact is moniro@tutamail.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. It is not Tuta Mail support. A privacy company did not lock 1.LOCKED_X.
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 the 10,000 USDT price as if a discount were available. Those addresses belong to the people who locked the files. Writing them is the product.
The handle is branding, the same way .LOCKED_X 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 10,000 USDT line is how they make that first message feel like a finished purchase. A finished purchase is how a larger bill can still appear later, even when the flyer printed no extra victim $.
After payment, contact is unpaid labor
The last line of the sample is After payment, contact: moniro@tutamail.com. That order is the squeeze. Pay first. Write second. You are supposed to feel one step away from a key after the TRON send. You are supposed to hunt for a decryptor that the same flyer never attached. You are supposed to prove you already paid before anyone on the other side even answers.
Do not send 10,000 USDT so you can “earn” a reply. Do not attach a transaction screenshot. Do not send a hash. Do not write “I already paid, please send the tool.” Proof of payment is still the checkout. A reply that says “now send a sample” is still the checkout. Silence from that inbox is not a reason to send more coin. It is a reason to stop.
No leak clock and no onion is not kindness
The sample does not print a countdown. It does not claim a leak site. It does not hand you a Session ID. It does not hand you an onion. That absence is not mercy. A clock would give you something to argue with. A leak line would give you a second panic. This flyer skips both and goes straight to the wallet and the inbox. You are supposed to feel that the only remaining step is to send 10,000 USDT, then write.
Do not invent a deadline because other ransomware families use one. Do not invent a leak blog because a later helper mentions one. Do not invent a Session chat or an onion portal to finish READ_ME.txt. The published note has none of those. A stranger who adds a timer, a leak page, or a second $ sticker is rewriting the flyer so they can stand in the aisle. The original shop already named the price. It already named the TRC20 string. It already named the mail. It did not need a fuse.
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.
LOCKED_X is a locker name, not a product you bought
LOCKED_X looks like a status tag. It looks like something a developer might type. This page is not a smear of any ordinary app that happens to share similar letters. If a program you actually installed happens to use similar words, that does not make it this locker. This locker is the one that replaces the old type with .LOCKED_X, drops READ_ME.txt, prints 10,000 USDT, prints TNYjzN2ras4jqpb2Q4AK5SXcKUdhcZSGZs, and points you at moniro@tutamail.com.
Do not hunt a random app folder because the flyer used those letters. Do not uninstall a title you like because a ransomware note stole a short name. Do not mail a software vendor as if they ran the lock. The brand on the note is costume. The evidence is 1.LOCKED_X, 2.LOCKED_X, and 3.LOCKED_X, plus READ_ME.txt.
How The Attack Works
The shop is simple once you stop reading it as a rescue. Lock the files. Replace the old type with .LOCKED_X. Drop READ_ME.txt. Shout ALL YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED. Print 10,000 USDT. Print Network: TRC20 (TRON). Print Address: TNYjzN2ras4jqpb2Q4AK5SXcKUdhcZSGZs. Then say after payment, contact moniro@tutamail.com. Skip the countdown. Skip the leak. Skip the onion. Skip the Session ID. Then wait for someone else to sell a second wallet.
1. The lock replaces the old type so you feel the loss
LOCKED_X encrypts the files it wants as leverage, then replaces the old type with .LOCKED_X. That is why 1.jpg becomes 1.LOCKED_X, why 2.png becomes 2.LOCKED_X, and why 3.exe becomes 3.LOCKED_X. The operators want you to inventory the damage in seconds. They want you to see the photo stem, the snapshot stem, the installer stem, the vacation stem, and the invoice stem in one glance. A coded filename can confuse you. A leftover stem with a new type makes you feel the theft.
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 .LOCKED_X ending.
Double-clicking a renamed file does not bring the photo back. The thumbnail may already look broken. A PDF reader may ask for a document that is still sitting in the same folder, only the bytes inside are no longer a document. That broken open is the first proof. The second proof is the replacement ending. Together they are enough. You do not need to mail moniro@tutamail.com to confirm what you are looking at.
2. READ_ME.txt takes the first click
Once the names are branded, the malware needs a voice. Other families cover the glass. This one drops a text file. READ_ME.txt feels like the machine itself left you a note. It feels like a help file you must finish before you can do anything else. That is how a locked photo folder starts to feel like a checkout.
The note is also a hiding trick. While you are reading it, you are not calmly sorting 1.LOCKED_X next to 2.LOCKED_X. You are not photographing Explorer. You are not calling someone who can help. The demand is in Notepad. The evidence is in the listing. Read the note as a sales flyer. Then close it. Keep the file. The files next to it still matter more than the shout.
Notice what the note does not give you. It does not give you a company, a refund policy, or a way to prove the other side will ever send a key. It does not give you a leak site. It does not give you a clock. It does not give you a Session ID. It does not give you an onion. It gives you a tone that says this is already decided. That tone is the product.
3. ALL YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED is the opening shout
The first line of the sample is a headline, not a technician. — !!! ALL YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED !!! — names the disaster in one breath. You are supposed to feel outmatched before you have even reached the wallet line. Capital letters do that work. The wrapping dashes do that work. Together they make 10,000 USDT feel like the only adult move left.
The shout also travels. Search ads will recycle it. Commenters will paste it. A later “LOCKED_X 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.
4. 10,000 USDT is the sticker
To recover your data, pay 10,000 USDT to the following address, is not a repair procedure. It is a price tag glued to a locked folder. Other families hide the amount until you open a chat. This one prints the coin total so the night does not need a negotiation. You are supposed to feel that waiting is already a mistake because the number is already on the page.
Do not add a second $ sticker the flyer never printed. Do not start a personal countdown because a later message said “pay $ now to keep the original 10,000 USDT.” The published note printed 10,000 USDT and nothing else. Leave extra victim $ uninvented. Leave the wallet unopened. A $ send is still a ransom when the flyer used USDT instead of a dollar sign.
5. The TRC20 wallet is the register
Network: TRC20 (TRON). Address: TNYjzN2ras4jqpb2Q4AK5SXcKUdhcZSGZs. That pair is 100% of the payment path they printed. It looks like a checkout because checkouts print networks and addresses. Criminal shops print them too, because a TRON string is where a locked photo becomes a transfer they can watch.
Do not send 10,000 USDT to that string “just to see if a key arrives.” Do not send a smaller TRC20 test. Do not use a “wallet checker” that asks you to connect an account. Connecting an account is how a second thief stands in the same doorway. Keep the exact string as evidence. Do not help anyone “correct” it.
6. After payment, contact moniro@tutamail.com is the door
The recovery step is not a key sitting on the desk. It is a mail after a send. After payment, contact: moniro@tutamail.com. That is the whole door. It looks like support because support uses email, and because the domain says tutamail.com. Criminal shops use free webmail too, because a thread is where 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 filename. A photo of 1.LOCKED_X sitting next to 2.LOCKED_X does not make you a verified customer. It makes you a person still following the flyer.
If someone later says they will “talk to LOCKED_X 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 Notepad at midnight. And it is not Tuta Mail support.
7. Pay first, then write is the squeeze
The order on the page is the product. Coin first. Mail second. You are supposed to feel that the inbox will not answer until the TRON string moves. That feeling is how a person sends 10,000 USDT before anyone has even proved a decryptor exists. There is no public free decryptor known for this strain. There is no reason to reverse that order, and there is no reason to follow it.
Do not send proof of payment. Do not send a sample “so they can build your key.” Do not send a second 10,000 USDT because the first mail bounced. A bounced mail is not a retry coupon. It is a closed door. Leave it closed.
8. No leak, no clock, no onion, no Session
Other families print a 24-hour contact clock or a 48-hour leak. This sample prints neither. It also prints no onion and no Session ID. That is not a missing page you should hunt. It is the flyer as published. This page will not invent a leak site, a countdown, a Session handle, or an onion portal to make the note look more like a bigger crew.
A later helper will add those missing pieces because missing pieces are easy to sell. They will show a fake leak blog. They will show a timer. They will show a chat handle the original file never named. Treat those add-ons as a second shop. The identifiers for this locker stay the ones on disk: .LOCKED_X, READ_ME.txt, 10,000 USDT, TNYjzN2ras4jqpb2Q4AK5SXcKUdhcZSGZs, and moniro@tutamail.com.
9. Third parties will sell a LOCKED_X conversation
After a ransomware incident, search results fill up with companies that say they can decrypt LOCKED_X or “all .LOCKED_X files.” Some of those shops are ordinary overpriced consultants. Plenty are a second scam. They will quote READ_ME.txt so they sound close to the case. They will mention 10,000 USDT. They will mention TRC20. They will mention moniro@tutamail.com as if they already called the original crew. They will ask for a sample file, a remote-access session, or a deposit.
A demo that “unlocks one file” is not proof they can unlock the vacation photo. Anyone can open one junk file they control. Anyone can send you a wallet string that makes an exchange window appear. An exchange window is not Photos opening vacation.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 second wallet the public copy already printed on purpose.
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 10,000 USDT send. It does not need moniro@tutamail.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 LOCKED_X key” as a second sales pitch.
10. Payment and mailing that inbox close nothing
Paying a stranger for a private key is not a guarantee. The people who send the note can take the 10,000 USDT 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 makes that outcome easier, not harder. You cannot leave a review on a criminal inbox.
Mailing moniro@tutamail.com is the free version of the same dead end. 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.
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 Tutamail address again is not useful work. Sending that TRC20 string is not useful work. It is the checkout, even when the flyer printed 10,000 USDT in plain text and skipped every extra theater.
What To Do If Your Files End in .LOCKED_X
Do not pay. Do not send 10,000 USDT to TNYjzN2ras4jqpb2Q4AK5SXcKUdhcZSGZs. Do not mail moniro@tutamail.com. That address is not Tuta Mail support. Do not invent a leak site, a countdown, a Session ID, an onion link, or an extra victim $ to finish READ_ME.txt. Do not type that TRC20 string into an exchange, a “wallet checker,” or a form a stranger sends back. Do not send proof of payment. Do not send a test file. If you already sent a message before you found this page, stop there. Do not pay a deposit to “hold the original 10,000 USDT” for anyone who quotes the note.
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.
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)
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.
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.
(The link opens in a new page where your download will start)
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.
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.
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.
Start the Scan
Click the blue Scan button. Malwarebytes will automatically update its virus database and start checking your computer for malware.
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.
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.
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.)
Download HitmanPro
Click the button below to download HitmanPro. Remember — the scan is free, so you have nothing to lose by checking your PC.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Download AdwCleaner
Click the button below to download AdwCleaner — it’s free, portable, and requires no installation.
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.
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“.
Start the Scan
Click “Dashboard” on the left side of the window, then click the “Scan” button.
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.
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.
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.
Download ESET Online Scanner
Click the button below to download ESET Online Scanner.
When the download finishes, open your Downloads folder and double-click “esetonlinescanner.exe“.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Make sure you remove the malware from your computer first, otherwise, it will repeatedly lock your system or encrypt files. If you suspect that your computer is still infected with malware, you can run a free scan with Emsisoft Emergency Kit.
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:
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.
Download EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free.
You can download EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free by clicking the link below.
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.
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.
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“.
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.
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.
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.
Download ShadowExplorer.
You can download ShadowExplorer from the below link.
Double-click on the ShadowExplorer-x.x-setup file to start the installation process, then follow the on-screen promts to install this program.
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.
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 .LOCKED_X name exactly as it is. Keep at least one locked sample, including a documented name such as 1.LOCKED_X, 2.LOCKED_X, or 3.LOCKED_X. Do not bulk-rename 1.LOCKED_X back to 1.jpg, or 2.LOCKED_X back to 2.png, or 3.LOCKED_X back to a normal program, or vacation.LOCKED_X back to a normal JPEG, or invoice-2026.LOCKED_X back to a normal PDF. Guessing the old type is not a repair. It can make a later trusted tool worse, not better. The stem is already sitting in front of .LOCKED_X. You do not need to edit it to know what you lost.
Keep READ_ME.txt with the locked files. Do not “clean up” every copy of the note. Do not fill in a leak site, a clock, a Session ID, or an onion so the flyer looks complete. The short note, or the 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: the ALL YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED shout, the 10,000 USDT ask, Network: TRC20 (TRON), Address: TNYjzN2ras4jqpb2Q4AK5SXcKUdhcZSGZs, and moniro@tutamail.com. Those artifacts are evidence. They are not instructions you should carry out.
Do not pay. Do not mail that inbox. Do not send that USDT. Do not ask a friend to write them “just to see.” A printed 10,000 USDT is still a ransom. A calm Tutamail address is still the people who locked the files. If a later message quotes READ_ME.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 claims they can already decrypt LOCKED_X files for a fee because they can recite 10,000 USDT, TRC20, and moniro@tutamail.com, they are selling a report, not a key. If they mention READ_ME.txt 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.
If Windows still offers to pick an app for the .LOCKED_X type, decline it. There is no player for that ending.
The Bottom Line
LOCKED_X ransomware is a locker with a replaced filename, a READ_ME that shouts ENCRYPT, and a checkout that names 10,000 USDT. It strips the old type and hangs .LOCKED_X on the name. 1.jpg becomes 1.LOCKED_X. 2.png becomes 2.LOCKED_X. 3.exe becomes 3.LOCKED_X. The note is READ_ME.txt. It tells you to pay 10,000 USDT on TRC20 (TRON) to TNYjzN2ras4jqpb2Q4AK5SXcKUdhcZSGZs, then write moniro@tutamail.com. It prints no leak, no clock, no Session ID, and no onion, and this page will not invent them. There is no public free decryptor known for this strain.
Do not pay. Do not send that USDT. Do not mail moniro@tutamail.com. Do not rename the pile in bulk. Keep READ_ME.txt and a .LOCKED_X sample. If you take one sentence with you, take this. A folder of names ending in .LOCKED_X, plus READ_ME.txt with a 10,000 USDT ask, that TRC20 string, and moniro@tutamail.com, is ransomware on the first sighting. Treat it that way before anyone offers to fill a leak, a clock, or a second wallet the flyer left out.
10 Rules to Avoid Online Scams
Here are 10 practical safety rules to help you avoid malware, online shopping scams, crypto scams, and other online fraud. Each tip includes a quick “if you already got hit” action.
Stop and verify before you click, log in, download, or pay.
Most scams win by creating urgency. Verify using a trusted method: type the website address yourself, use the official app, or call a known number (not the one in the message).
If you already clicked: close the page, do not enter passwords, and run a malware scan.
Keep your operating system, browser, and apps updated.
Updates patch security holes used by malware and malicious ads. Turn on automatic updates where possible.
If you saw a scary “update now” pop-up: close it and update only through your device settings or the official app store.
Use layered protection: antivirus plus an ad blocker.
Antivirus helps block malware. An ad blocker reduces scam redirects, phishing pages, and malvertising.
If your browser is acting weird: remove unknown extensions, reset the browser, then run a full scan.
Install apps, software, and extensions only from official sources.
Avoid cracked software, “keygens,” and random downloads. During installs, choose Custom/Advanced and decline bundled offers you do not recognize.
If you already installed something suspicious: uninstall it, restart, and scan again.
Treat links and attachments as untrusted by default.
Phishing often impersonates delivery services, banks, and popular brands. If it is unexpected, do not open attachments or log in through the message.
If you entered credentials: change the password immediately and enable 2FA.
Shop safely: research the store, then pay with protection.
Be cautious with brand-new stores, “closing sale” stories, and prices that make no sense. Prefer credit cards or PayPal for dispute options. Avoid wire transfers, gift cards, and crypto payments.
If you already paid: contact your card issuer or PayPal quickly to dispute the transaction.
Crypto rule: never pay a “fee” to withdraw or recover money.
Common patterns include fake profits, then “tax,” “gas,” or “verification” fees. Another is a “recovery agent” who demands upfront crypto.
If you already sent crypto: stop paying, save evidence (wallet addresses, TXIDs, chats), and report the scam to the platform used.
Secure your accounts with unique passwords and 2FA (start with email).
Use a password manager and unique passwords for every account. Enable 2FA using an authenticator app when possible.
If you suspect an account takeover: change passwords, sign out of all devices, and review recent logins and recovery settings.
Back up important files and keep one backup offline.
Backups protect you from ransomware and device failure. Keep at least one backup on an external drive that is not always connected.
If you suspect infection: do not connect backup drives until the system is clean.
If you think you are a victim: stop losses, document evidence, and escalate fast.
Move quickly. Speed matters for disputes, account recovery, and limiting damage.
Stop payments and contact: do not send more money or respond to the scammer.
Call your bank or card issuer: block transactions, replace the card if needed, and start a dispute or chargeback.
Secure your email first: change the email password, enable 2FA, and remove unfamiliar recovery options.
Secure other accounts: change passwords, enable 2FA, and log out of all sessions.
Scan your device: remove suspicious apps or extensions, then run a full malware scan.
Save evidence: screenshots, emails, order pages, tracking pages, wallet addresses, TXIDs, and chat logs.
Report it: to the payment provider, marketplace, social platform, exchange, or wallet service involved.
These rules are intentionally simple. Most online losses happen when decisions are rushed. Slow down, verify independently, and use payment methods and account controls that give you recourse.
Hello! I'm Lapain Epuran, your go-to source for detailed and honest product reviews. From tech gadgets to miracle cures, I provide insights to help you make informed choices. Join me as we discover what's truly worth your time and money.
