Removal guide Ransomware

Remove FBI Anti-Piracy Warning virus (MoneyPak Scam)

By Stelian9 min read

The FBI Anti-Piracy Warning MoneyPak Ransom is a computer virus, which will display a bogus notification, that pretends to be from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and states that your computer has been blocked due to it being involved with the distribution of pornographic material, SPAM and copyrighted content.

Advertisements

The FBI Anti-Piracy Warning virus will lock you out of your computer and applications, so whenever you’ll try to log on into your Windows operating system or Safe Mode with Networking, it will display instead a lock screen asking you to pay $400 in the form of a Green Dot MoneyPak code.

Furthermore, to make its alert seem more authentic, this virus also has the ability to access your installed webcam ,so that the bogus FBI Anti-Piracy Warning will show what is happening in the room.Last, but not lease, this infection will continuously play a fake recording from the FBI with the following message:

FBI Warning. Your computer is blocked for violation of federal law.

If your computer is infected with FBI Anti-Piracy Warning virus,then you are seeing the below notification:
[Image: FBI Anti-Piracy Warning virus]

The FBI Anti-Piracy Warning Ransom will display the following bogus notification:

FBI Anti-Piracy Warning
All activity of this computer has been recorded.
If you use a webcam, videos and pictures were saved for future identifications.

Your Computer has been locked!
Illegal downloaded material (MP3’s, Movies or Software) has been located on your computer.

Unlock your computer:
To unlock your computer and yo avoid other legal consequences you are obligated to pay a fine of $400. Payment of the fine is done by GreenDot MoneyPak payment voucher. After payment is made your computer will be unlocked and legal actions will not be taken.
Failure to comply with FBI Anti-Piracy warnings could result in criminal charges and possible imprisonment up to 3 years in country jail.

The FBI Anti-Piracy Warning Ransom is a scam and you should ignore any alert that this malicious software might generate and remove this trojan ransomware from your computer.
Under no circumstance should you send any money to this cyber criminals,as this could lead to identity theft,and if you have, you should contact your credit card company and dispute the charge stating that the program is a scam and a computer virus.

Advertisements

FBI Anti-Piracy Warning MoneyPak Ransomware – Virus Removal Guide

This page is a comprehensive guide, which will remove the FBI Anti-Piracy Warning infection from your your computer. Please perform all the steps in the correct order. If you have any questions or doubt at any point STOP and ask for our assistance.
The FBI Anti-Piracy Warning will start automatically when you login to your computer and display its screen locker so that you are unable to access your computer, therefore we will need to remove this infection by using one of the below methods:
OPTION 1: Remove FBI Anti-Piracy Warning lock screen virus with System Restore
OPTION 2: Remove FBI Anti-Piracy Warning virus with with HitmanPro Kickstart
OPTION 3: Remove FBI Anti-Piracy Warning virus with Kaspersky Rescue Disk

OPTION 1: Remove FBI Anti-Piracy Warning lock screen virus with System Restore

System Restore helps you restore your computer’s system files to an earlier point in time. It’s a way to undo system changes to your computer without affecting your personal files, such as e‑mail, documents, or photos.
Because the FBI Anti-Piracy Warning virus will not allow you to start the computer in Windows regular mode, we will need to start System Restore from the Safe Mode with Command Prompt mode.

Advertisements

STEP 1: Restore Windows to a previous state using System Restore

  1. Reboot your computer into Safe Mode with Command Prompt. To do this, turn your computer off and then back on and immediately when you see anything on the screen, start tapping the F8 key on your keyboard.
    [Image: F8 key]
    If you are using Windows 8, the trick is to hold the Shift button and gently tap the F8 key repeatedly, this will sometimes boot you into the new advanced “recovery mode”, where you can choose to see advanced repair options. On the next screen, you will need to click on the Troubleshoot option, then select Advanced Options and select Windows Startup Settings. Click on the Restart button, and you should now be able to see the Advanced Boot Options screen.
  2. Using the arrow keys on your keyboard, select Safe Mode with Command Prompt and press Enter on your keyboard.
    [Image: Starting computer in Safe Mode with Command Prompt]
  3. At the command prompt, type rstrui.exe, and then press ENTER.
    [Image: Start System Restore to remove lock screen virus]
    Alternatively, if you are using Windows Vista, 7 and 8, you can type: C:\windows\system32\rstrui.exe , and press Enter. And if you are a Windows XP user, type C:\windows\system32\restore\rstrui.exe, then press Enter.
  4. System Restore should start, and you will display also a list of restore points. Try using a restore point created just before the date and time the FBI Anti-Piracy Warning lock screen virus has infected your computer.
    [Image: Restore settings to remove ransomware]
  5. When System Restore has completed its task, start your computer in Windows regular mode, and perform a scan with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and HitmanPro, as seen in the next step.

STEP 2: Remove FBI Anti-Piracy Warning malicious files with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free

Even after using System Restore,

  1. You can download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free from the below link, then double-click on the icon named mbam-setup.exe to install this program.
    Download MalwarebytesFree official installer. Your download starts right away.
  2. When the installation begins, keep following the prompts in order to continue with the setup process, then at the last screen click on the Finish button.
    [Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware final installation screen]
  3. On the Scanner tab, select Perform quick scan, and then click on the Scan button to start searching for the FBI Anti-Piracy Warning malicious files.
    [Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Quick Scan]
  4. Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware will now start scanning your computer for FBI Anti-Piracy Warning virus as shown below.
    [Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware scanning for FBI Anti-Piracy Warning
  5. When the Malwarebytes Anti-Malware scan has finished, click on the Show Results button.
    [Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware scan results]
  6. You will now be presented with a screen showing you the computer infections that Malwarebytes Anti-Malware has detected. Make sure that everything is Checked (ticked), then click on the Remove Selected button.
    [Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malwar removing FBI Anti-Piracy Warning virus]

STEP 3: Double-check for the FBI Anti-Piracy Warning virus with HitmanPro

  1. You can download HitmanPro from the below link:
    Download HitmanProOfficial Sophos download. Free scan, free 30-day trial to remove threats.
  2. Double-click on the file named HitmanPro.exe (for 32-bit versions of Windows) or HitmanPro_x64.exe (for 64-bit versions of Windows). When the program starts you will be presented with the start screen as shown below.
    HitmanPro scanner
    Click on the Next button, to install HitmanPro on your computer.
    HitmanPro installation
  3. HitmanPro will now begin to scan your computer for FBI Anti-Piracy Warning malicious files.
    HitmanPro detecting for FBI Anti-Piracy Warning virus
  4. When it has finished it will display a list of all the malware that the program found as shown in the image below. Click on the Next button, to remove FBI Anti-Piracy Warning virus.
    HitmanPro scan results
  5. Click on the Activate free license button to begin the free 30 days trial, and remove all the malicious files from your computer.
    [Image: HitmanPro 30 days activation button]

Advertisements

OPTION 2: Remove FBI Anti-Piracy Warning virus with with HitmanPro Kickstart

If you cannot start your computer into Safe Mode with Command Prompt mode, we can use the HitmanPro Kickstart program to bypass FBI Anti-Piracy Warning lock screen.
As the FBI Anti-Piracy Warning ransomware infection locks you out of your computer, you will need to create a bootable USB drive that contains the HitmanPro Kickstart program.
We will then boot your computer using this bootable USB drive and use it to clean the infection so that you are able to access Windows normally again.
You will also need a USB drive, which will have all of its data erased and will then be formatted. Therefore, only use a USB drive that does not contain any important data.

  1. Using a “clean” (non-infected) computer, please download HitmanPro Kickstart from the below link.
    Download HitmanProOfficial Sophos download. Free scan, free 30-day trial to remove threats.
  2. Once HitmanPro has been downloaded, please insert the USB flash drive that you would like to erase and use for the installation of HitmanPro Kickstart. Then double-click on the file named HitmanPro.exe (for 32-bit versions of Windows) or HitmanPro_x64.exe (for 64-bit versions of Windows).
    To create a bootable HitmanPro USB drive, please follow the instructions from this video:
  3. Now, remove the HitmanPro Kickstart USB drive and insert it into the FBI Anti-Piracy Warning infected computer.
  4. Once you have inserted the HitmanPro Kickstart USB drive, turn off the infected computer and then turn it on. As soon as you power it on, look for text on the screen that tells you how to access the boot menu.
    [Image: Windows Boot Menu screens]
    The keys that are commonly associated with enabling the boot menu are F10, F11 or F12.
  5. Once you determine the proper key (usually the F11 key) that you need to press to access the Boot Menu, restart your computer again and start immediately tapping that key. Next, please perform a scan with HitmanPro Kickstart as shown in the video below.
  6. HitmanPro will now reboot your computer and Windows should start normally. Then please Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and HitmanPro, and scan your computer for any left over infections.

OPTION 3: Remove FBI Anti-Piracy Warning virus with Kaspersky Rescue Disk

If any of the above methods did not clean your infected computer, we can use a Kaspersky Rescue Disk Bootable to clean the Windows registry and to perform a system scan to remove the FBI Anti-Piracy Warning virus.
To create a bootable Kaspersky Rescue Disk, we will need the following items:

  • A clean (non-infected) computer with Internet access
  • A blank DVD or CD
  • A computer with a DVD or CD burner

STEP 1: Download and create a bootable Kaspersky Rescue Disk CD

  1. You can download Kaspersky Rescue Disk utility from link below:
    Download Kaspersky Rescue DiskOpens the download page in a new tab.
  2. To create the bootable rescue disk, we will need to use the ImgBurn program. You can download ImgBurn from the below link, then install this program.
    Download ImgBurnOpens the download page in a new tab.
  3. Insert your blank DVD or CD in your burner, then start ImgBurn and click on the Write image file to disc button.
  4. Under Source click on the Browse for file button, then navigate to the location where you previously saved the Kaspersky Rescue Disk utility (kav_rescue_10.iso), then click on the Write button.
    [Image: Bootable Kaspersky Rescue CD]
    That’s it, ImgBurn will now begin writing your bootable Kaspersky Rescue Disk.

STEP 2: Start your computer using the Kaspersky Rescue Disk

  1. Once you’ve got the Kasperky Rescue Disk in hand, insert it into the infected computer, and turn off and then turn it on again.
  2. As soon as you power it on, you will see a screen that tells you to press any key to enter the menu, so please tap any key to boot your machine from the Kaspersky Rescue Disk.
    [Image: Starting infected computer from Kaspersky Rescue Disk]
  3. In the next screen, you will need to chose a language, then you click on Kaspersky Rescue Disk. Graphic Mode and press ENTER, to start the Kaspersky Rescue Disk.[Image: Kaspersky Rescue Disk Graphic Mode screen]
Advertisements

STEP 3: Scan your system with Kaspersky Rescue Disk

  1. Within a few short seconds you should see the full working environment, with the Kaspersky Rescue Disk screen front and center as shown below.
    [Image: Kaspersky Rescue Disk scanner]
  2. Switch tabs over to the My Update Center, and then click the Start update button to load the latest anti-virus definitions. Please be patience while this process its completed.
    [Image: Updating Kaspersky Rescue Disk antivirus definitions]
  3. Switch back over to the Objects Scan tab, select the drives you want to scan, and then click the Start Objects Scan button.
    [Image: Kaspersky Rescue Disk scan]
  4. When Kaspersky Antivirus will detect the FBI Anti-Piracy Warning virus, you’ll be prompted to select an action. When this happens, please select Quarantine or Delete to remove this infection from your computer.
    [Image: Kaspersky Rescue Disk prompt]
  5. When the antivirus scan has completed, you can restart back into Windows regular mode, by clicking on the Kaspersky Start button [Image: Kaspersky Rescue Disk Restart button] (lower left corner), and selecting Restart.
    Once your computer will start in Windows regular more, download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and HitmanPro, and scan your computer for any left over infections.

Your computer should now be free of the FBI Anti-Piracy Warning infection. If your current anti-virus solution let this infection through, you may want to consider purchasing the PRO version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware to protect against these types of threats in the future, and perform regular computer scans with HitmanPro.
If you are still experiencing problems while trying to remove FBI Anti-Piracy Warning Moneypak virus from your machine, please start a new thread in our Malware Removal Assistance forum.

Finish the cleanup. Keep protection on.

Follow the removal steps above, then consider ongoing protection against malicious software and unwanted advertising.

Affiliate links We may earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. How we’re funded

MalwarebytesSCAM & MALWARE PROTECTION

Go beyond a one-time scan.

Malwarebytes can detect and remove malware and unwanted programs. Premium Security adds real-time protection against new threats.

  • Scam Guard for suspicious messages
  • Real-time malware protection with Premium
Explore MalwarebytesExplore features on the official website
AdGuardAD & TRACKER BLOCKING

Reduce unwanted ads and redirects.

AdGuard filters ads and trackers while you browse. It can help reduce exposure to advertising that sends you to unwanted pages.

  • Blocks intrusive ads and pop-ups
  • Filters trackers while you browse
Explore AdGuardExplore features on the official website

Features vary by device and plan. These tools add protection; they do not guarantee that a website or offer is trustworthy.

Join the discussion

37 comments

Share your experience or ask a question about this article.

Discussion

  1. StelianTeam

    Thanks for the suggestion. Readers should independently check any third-party service, its privacy practices, and its terms before sharing files or personal information.

    ReplyReport
  2. Melissa

    We have had this stuck on our computer for a week now. I had alot of trouble but finally got malware bytes installed, this is all i needed before but not long after the warning came back up. Im not looking forward to doing this again at all.most of the time even in the diff safe modes i couldnt do anything or open anything. Please help

    ReplyReport
    1. Stelian Pilici

      In reply to Melissa

      Hello,
      Did you create a HitmanPro booatable USB stick or Kaspersky Rescue Disk?
      Stay safe!

      ReplyReport
  3. KC

    I tried the Restore Windows to an earlier state technique but did not work for me,I tried to use the F8 Safe mode but cannot get into safe mode the virus prevented my computer from doing this, then finally I logged back into my computer as guest with Admin and downloaded Malwarebytes Antivirus and it worked very well to get rid of Money Pak Virus, it took 3 hours to isolate and eradicate this nasty virus !

    ReplyReport
  4. Stelian Pilici

    Hello Caitlin,
    Yes, try to perform again a scan with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, however before starting this scan, please run Rkill ( a utility which will kill the malicious process of the FBI virus, so that we will be able to perform this step without being interrupted by this malicious software).
    You can download RKILL (which will be renamed as iexplore.exe) from here: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/rkill/dl/11/

    If you are still experiencing issues, try to start HitmanPro in ForceBreach mode, and perform a scan.
    Can you please try to start HitmanPro in ForceBreach Mode?

    To start HitmanPro in Force Breach mode, hold down the left CTRL key when you start HitmanPro and all non-essential processes are terminated, including the malware process: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6eRWTv2STk

    Then, please try to perform a scan with RogueKiller:

    1. Please download the latest official version of RogueKiller.
    RogueKiller Download Link : http://www.sur-la-toile.com/RogueKiller/RogueKiller.exe

    2. Double click on RogueKiller.exe to start this utility and then wait for the Prescan to complete.This should take only a few seconds and then you can click the Scan button to perform a system scan.

    3. After the scan has completed, press the Delete button to remove any malicious registry keys.

    Waiting for your reply to see if you have managed to remove this infection!

    ReplyReport
  5. Steve

    Found this site after the FBI page kept coming up.

    This did the trick. Thank you so much!

    Ill spread the word of your great work!

    ReplyReport
  6. L Rosario

    My daughter panicked when she saw that FBI warning on her laptop. I googled the problem and found this site. I called her and walked her through Method 1 and it worked like a charm! Took about 10 minutes to get it running again. Thanks so much for sharing. God Bless you <3

    ReplyReport
  7. SHUN

    Hi and THANK GOD I found this site!!!!!! I went to Best Buy to see how much it would cost to remove FBI virus and they told me $200.00!!! I was like noooooooooooooo way!! So I googled it and it brought me to this site. Method 2 worked for me!!! So glad!!! I didn’t have money to give t to them. THANKS SO MUCH FOR POSTING THIS!! AND I WILL SPREAD THE WORD!!

    ReplyReport
  8. snave

    Used the malwarebytes and when rebooted it said that c:\PROGRA~3\rilado.dat could not be found or something to that degree

    ReplyReport
    1. Daniel C

      In reply to snave

      This is because the FBI virus made an entry in your registry to run a file at boot time and this file does not exist anymore since malwarebytes removed it.
      You may perform a search of ‘rilado.dat’ (for your case) in your registry and delete the associated key that is calling to run this file.

      ReplyReport
  9. Shanice

    Thank you so much. this really helped. the virus popped up las nigh and idk what to do but i followed ur instructions and now my laptop is working just fine.

    ReplyReport
  10. Donnie

    Thank you, running Malwarebytes now, your information seems to have solved my problem, again thank you.

    ReplyReport
  11. M

    Thank you thank you thank you! The idiots that put this stuff out there make me curse humanity… People like you who offer so much help and advice to strangers restore my faith in it. Thank you again. I’m running my full system scan now, and hopefully that will be the end of that. I’ll be more diligent with my virus scans from now on.

    ReplyReport
  12. Stephanie Jones

    Thank you for posting this page. I did receive this virus on my computer and this page has been a huge help. Thanks again!!

    ReplyReport
  13. RobLMoore

    A few months back we got this FBI malware. I am not sure of all that I did but I was able to scan and delete the malware. Since then I noticed that most of the windows updates fail. The fact is that any program that uses the windows installer fails to install. We use Comodo Internet Security and it finds a hidden root kit at {53f5630d-b6bf-11d0-94f2-00a0c91efb8b} but fails to clean it. I have navigated to the key, but when i click it displays access denied. Because I have been having problems with windows installer I went to windows\system32 and tried to view the properties/security of the msiexec.exe and given can’t open access control editor. invalid value for registry.
    I tried sfc/scannow and rebooted.
    I tried re registering the msiexec.exe

    at this point I am lost.

    ReplyReport
    1. Stelian PiliciTeam

      In reply to RobLMoore

      Hello Rob,
      It looks like you have a ZeroAccess rootkit (or at least a left over part of it) on your computer.
      Can you please run a scan with the below tools:
      STEP 1: Run a scan with RogueKiller

      1. Please download the latest official version of RogueKiller.
        RogueKiller Download Link (This link will automatically download RogueKiller on your computer)
      2. Double click on RogueKiller.exe to start this utility and then wait for the Prescan to complete.This should take only a few seconds and then you can click the Scan button to perform a system scan.
      3. After the scan has completed, press the Delete button to remove any malicious registry keys.

      STEP 2: Run a scan with Emsisoft Emergency Kit.

      1. Please download the latest official version of Emsisoft Emergency Kit.
        EMSISOFT EMERGENCY KIT DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a download page in a new window from where you can download Emsisoft Emergency Kit)
      2. After the download process will finish , you’ll need to unpack EmsisoftEmergencyKit.zip and then double click on EmergencyKitScanner.bat
      3. A pop-up will prompt you to update Emsisoft Emergency Kit , please click the “Yes” button.After the Update process has completed , put the mouse cursor over the “Menu” tab on the left and click-on “Scan PC“.
      4. Select “Smart scan” and click-on the below “SCAN” button.When the scan will be completed , you will be presented with a screen showing you the malware infections that Emsisoft Emergency Kit has detected.Make sure that everything is Checked (ticked) and click on the ‘Quarantine selected objects‘ button.

      STEP 3: Run a scan with Eset Online Scanner.

      1. Download ESET Online Scanner utility.
        ESET Online Scanner Download Link (This link will automatically download ESET Online Scanner on your computer.)
      2. Double click on the Eset installer program (esetsmartinstaller_enu.exe).
      3. Check Yes, I accept the Terms of Use
      4. Click the Start button.
      5. Check Scan archives
      6. Push the Start button.
      7. ESET will then download updates for itself, install itself, and begin scanning your computer. Please be patient as this can take some time.
      8. When the scan completes, push Finish

      NEXT,please re-run a scan with HitmanPro and click on “Save log” and post that here so I can take a look at what it has found.
      Good luck!

      ReplyReport
  14. Rose Cuthbertson

    Thanks a lot!! I’ve been able to get back onto my laptop and everything seems to be in working order after I did the system restore but I was wondering whether the system restore (to a previous time and date before I was infected) would get rid of the virus completely as I am using my eset NOD32 ANTIVIRUS 5 software and running a full computer scan but I don’t know if it will pick up any extra malicious software, as I did a quick search and people seem to be very divided on whether a system reboot will or will not get rid of the virus. Some say it works all the time for them and others say that it doesn’t normally work and may in fact end up infecting my system restore files. I’m not sure what works. The step by step instructions were very useful by the way, especially since I hadn’t done any of the claims against me which led me to believe it was a virus immediately! Again, THANKS!!!

    ReplyReport
  15. Adam

    Thanks for the step by steps. That’ll teach me to follow links friends on facebook send me without reactivating noscript.

    After I did a system restore and got back in, I ran a Malwarebytes scan and it’s showing zero malicious programs. A Sophos virus scan is also showing nothing. Is this unusual? Can I trust it that I’m really safe? Or can this thing hide?

    I’m doing a MWB full scan now, just in case.

    Man, I’m annoyed at myself. I’m usually a safe browser, but I let it slip for one second and suddenly my laptop shoots craps.

    ReplyReport
    1. Stelian PiliciTeam

      In reply to Adam

      Hello Adam,
      Did you perform the HitmanPro scan?
      As additional tools, you can perform a check with the following utilites:
      STEP 1: Run a scan with Eset Online Scanner.

      1. Download ESET Online Scanner utility.
        ESET Online Scanner Download Link (This link will automatically download ESET Online Scanner on your computer.)
      2. Double click on the Eset installer program (esetsmartinstaller_enu.exe).
      3. Check Yes, I accept the Terms of Use
      4. Click the Start button.
      5. Check Scan archives
      6. Push the Start button.
      7. ESET will then download updates for itself, install itself, and begin scanning your computer. Please be patient as this can take some time.
      8. When the scan completes, push Finish

      STEP 2: Run a scan with Emsisoft Emergency Kit.

      1. Please download the latest official version of Emsisoft Emergency Kit.
        EMSISOFT EMERGENCY KIT DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a download page in a new window from where you can download Emsisoft Emergency Kit)
      2. After the download process will finish , you’ll need to unpack EmsisoftEmergencyKit.zip and then double click on EmergencyKitScanner.bat
      3. A pop-up will prompt you to update Emsisoft Emergency Kit , please click the “Yes” button.After the Update process has completed , put the mouse cursor over the “Menu” tab on the left and click-on “Scan PC“.
      4. Select “Smart scan” and click-on the below “SCAN” button.When the scan will be completed , you will be presented with a screen showing you the malware infections that Emsisoft Emergency Kit has detected.Make sure that everything is Checked (ticked) and click on the ‘Quarantine selected objects‘ button.

      Stay safe!

      ReplyReport
  16. C Hill

    FINALLY..I am free of this virus! YEAH! I had to open my computer in safe mode with command prompt and go to msconfig to shut down odd looking programs then launch Malwarebytes to clean everything up…it took awhile for the program to go through my whole computer (and several times I thought the program stalled) but by the end it caught 31 objects that it quarantined and deleted. After the reboot everything was good! Yippy.

    ReplyReport

Report a comment

Reports are private and reviewed by a moderator.

Written by

Stelian

Stelian leverages over a decade of cybersecurity expertise to lead malware analysis and removal, uncover scams, and educate people. His experience provides insightful analysis and valuable perspective.

61,116 articlesWriting since 2011
More from Stelian →

MalwareTips community · since 2009

Stuck on a step? 75,000+ members can help you for free.

Post your question on the forum and our volunteer malware removal experts will walk you through it, step by step.

75K+members
999K+forum messages
100K+forum topics
17+years online

Previous

Remove Win7 Defender virus (Uninstall Guide)

Next

Remove Win 7 Security 2011 (Removal Instructions)

Share