Golden Woolf Ransomware EXPOSED: .wolf Files and a 20 TON Telegram Bot
Written by: Lapain Epuran
Published on:
You open the folder you used yesterday. The vacation photo should be there. The invoice should be there. The tax spreadsheet should be there. The names are still familiar. Then you see the extra ending. vacation.jpg is now vacation.jpg.wolf. The PDF is invoice-2026.pdf.wolf. The sheet is taxes.xlsx.wolf. The video is family.mp4.wolf. The contract is contracts.docx.wolf. Windows may call the type a WOLF File and offer you a useless “choose an app” box.
Then a window you did not open takes over the screen. That window is the ransom demand. Golden Woolf ransomware does not leave a text note in the folder. It does not drop a README on the desktop. It talks through a pop-up. The pop-up prints a unique ID that belongs to that machine. It starts a countdown of about 72 hours. It tells you to install Telegram, write to @GetYourHash_bot, and wait for payment instructions. The bill inside the lure is 20 TON, paid in TON cryptocurrency. After you pay, the same bot wants the transaction ID, then a key you are supposed to type back into the window.
This page is for the moment those names appear. It explains the .wolf stamp, the Telegram checkout, the printed 20 TON ask, the three-try key field, and why a “SYSTEM WILL SELF-DESTRUCT” line is intimidation rather than a fact you should test. It is not a tour of ransomware in general. It is about this strain, the one that writes .wolf on the end and then walks you into a bot.
Encrypted files after Golden Woolf. The .wolf names are the tell.
Overview
The first tell is the rename. Golden Woolf keeps the original name and the original extension, then appends .wolf. A file named 1.jpg becomes 1.jpg.wolf. A file named vacation.jpg becomes vacation.jpg.wolf. You can still read what the object used to be. You cannot open it. That is the point of a visible stamp. The folder still has one object per file. The shock lands harder because the photo still “looks” like it is there.
The second tell is the pop-up. After the files are locked, the demand appears on the screen. Most lockers drop a README or a decrypt text file next to the photos. Golden Woolf skips that paper trail. The pitch lives in a window. The window claims the files are encrypted. It prints an ID so the next step feels personal. It runs a clock of about 72 hours so the next step feels late. It names a Telegram bot. It names a coin and an amount. It leaves a box for a key.
The third tell is the finished aisle. Look at that window the way you would look at a shop that already printed the price. There is a contact: @GetYourHash_bot on Telegram. There is a bill: 20 TON in TON cryptocurrency. There is a checkout ritual: send the ID, pay, send the TXID, type the key. That complete path is the whole Overview. It is the fact that separates this strain from a locker that only screams, and from a locker that points at Telegram and then refuses to name a number.
Ransomware is malware that encrypts files so the system that relies on them becomes useless. Payment is common in many families. Golden Woolf makes the payment feel like a product. The bot looks like a clerk. The ID looks like a ticket. The 20 TON line looks like a sticker price. None of that makes the people on the other side a store. A printed amount is not a contract. A countdown is not a service-level agreement. A key field with three tries is not a safe unlock panel.
People will want a cousin. A Telegram pop-up can look like Vitya. A window with no text file can look like Kreepr. An ending that says wolf can look like an older 2021 locker, or like a game archive that happens to use .wolf. This page will not mash those files together. Vitya talks through Telegram and does not print a TON amount. Kreepr talks through a pop-up and prints no contact at all. Golden Woolf prints both the bot and the 20 TON ask. That pair is the trap you are in if the files end in .wolf and the window names @GetYourHash_bot.
The .wolf name is the first warning
Ransomware families pick an extension so you notice the change in seconds. Golden Woolf uses .wolf and leaves the rest of the filename alone. That choice is not kindness. It is a billboard. You can still read invoice-2026.pdf in front of the new ending. You can still see that the family video is the family video. The listing looks almost right, which is why the first instinct is to double-click.
Double-clicking does not bring the photo back. An app cannot talk ciphertext back into a JPEG. Taking .wolf off the name does not reverse the lock. You may get a file that Photos or Excel tries to open and then fails. You may also scramble a later trusted tool that expected the stamped name to stay put. The extra letters are a label. The lock is in the bytes.
The same stamp makes a later scam easier. Anyone who sees a pile of .wolf files can pretend they already “have your case.” They can quote the ending back to you. They can offer a paid unlock. They can invent a second inbox the original pop-up never printed. The extension is branding. It is not a hint that the file can be renamed back to normal, and it is not a ticket number for a recovery desk that exists.
Do not bulk-rename the files to hide .wolf. Do not run a random “extension fixer” you found in an ad. Do not drag the locked copies into a cloud sync folder “so they upload clean.” Leave the locked copies as they are until you have a clean machine and a plan that does not start inside that pop-up.
One more naming trap sits next to this one. Some video games store data in archives that also end in .wolf. Tools built for those game files will not open vacation.jpg.wolf. A search for “wolf decryptor” can land on a hobby utility that has nothing to do with this ransom window. If the folder is Documents, the type column says WOLF File, and a pop-up is asking for 20 TON, you are not unpacking a game. You are in a locker incident.
The demand lives in a pop-up, not a text file
Most households learn ransomware from a note on the desktop. The note has a filename that sounds like a product. People print it. People photograph it. People search the exact words. Golden Woolf does not give you that file. The demand is a window. That is unusual enough that some victims waste the first hour hunting for a README that is not there.
The pop-up talks like a help desk that already opened a ticket. It says the files are encrypted. It shows an ID. It shows a countdown. It lists steps as if you were installing a legitimate app: install Telegram, write the bot, wait, pay, send the TXID, type the key. This page will not paste a sample ID from a screenshot and call it yours. The window prints an ID. That ID belongs to the machine that was hit. It is not a public case number, and it is not a password you should post in a comment thread.
A window is a better trap than a text file in one specific way. A text file can be closed. A window can sit on top of the work you are trying to do. It can keep a timer in your peripheral vision. It can make a restart feel like a dare. That is sales theater. A pop-up cannot unlock a file. Closing it cannot unlock a file. Typing into it cannot unlock a file unless the authors already gave you the matching key, which they will only pretend to sell after you fund their coin.
If you still have the window on screen, treat it as evidence, not as a control panel. A photograph of the pop-up can help a later technician identify the strain. Interacting with the fields is not identification. It is how the authors keep you in the chair.
The 20 TON Telegram aisle is the tell
Classic lockers finish the job with a storefront. Golden Woolf finishes it inside Telegram. The pop-up tells you to install the app if you do not have it. It names @GetYourHash_bot. It tells you to send the ID the window printed. Then it tells you to wait for payment instructions. Those instructions, in this lure, are not a mystery quote. The window already says pay 20 TON. The coin is TON. The amount is printed. This page will not invent a $ conversion for that number. The lure already did its job by naming a round figure you can hold in your head.
After the payment, the same bot wants the TXID. That is the transaction identifier from the TON transfer. The story says the bot will then hand you a key. You are supposed to type that key into the pop-up. The window even counts your tries. Three wrong attempts, and the text claims the system will self-destruct. Sitting next to that line is another order: do not restart the PC.
That path is easy to misread as a real shop. A named bot looks more official than a random inbox. A printed amount looks more honest than “write us for a price.” A TXID step looks like a receipt. None of those details make the people behind the bot a vendor you can sue. They make the costume tighter. The bot is the trap. The 20 TON is the bait. The key field is the last hook so you stay on the infected desktop instead of looking for a clean backup.
Search results will try to fill the silence with cousins. Pages will mix this strain with Vitya because both mention Telegram. Pages will mix it with Kreepr because both use a pop-up instead of a text file. A later email from a person who only saw your screenshot will offer a second chat, a “faster bot,” or a $ quote in a different coin. None of that replaces the original lure. If the original window named @GetYourHash_bot and 20 TON, that is the shop you were shown. Do not help a stranger open a second one.
The key box has three tries on purpose
The pop-up includes a text field for a key and a limited number of attempts. That pair is doing a job. It looks like a product. It looks like the authors expect you to type something carefully. It trains you to believe a key exists, is close, and will be taken away if you fumble. A scarce key is a powerful story when you are staring at taxes.xlsx.wolf.
The field is still a hostile input. People type family names. People type 1234. People paste a string from a forum. People run a “key generator” an ad promised would fill that box. People also type a password they use somewhere else, because a box that says KEY looks like a password box. Do not do that. A reused password typed into a ransom window is now a password you should retire from a clean device, not from this one.
Do not type random keys into the three-attempt field. Do not let a child “try a few.” Do not paste a code a commenter called a universal Golden Woolf key. A wrong guess is not a harmless experiment. The pop-up itself threatens a self-destruct after three misses. That threat is attacker text. It is not a lab result published here. The safer reading is simple. The field is there to keep you playing. The threat is there to stop you from walking away.
If you already typed something before you found this page, stop there. Close the experiment. Do not keep guessing. The button is not a lottery. It is the last page of a checkout that starts in Telegram and ends with you still staring at .wolf names.
The self-destruct line is attacker text
The pop-up claims that after three wrong key attempts, the system will self-destruct. It also tells you not to restart the PC. Those sentences are written to stop your hand. They are meant to keep you watching the window and to make a normal incident step feel like a punishment.
Treat that claim as attacker intimidation, not as a behavior this page timed. The page is not a lab report of a wipe. It will not pretend the self-destruct was measured, and it will not pretend the self-destruct is fake. Criminals lie. Criminals also follow through. Either way, the purpose of the sentence is the same. It wants you making decisions from panic instead of from a plan.
Do not sit in front of the pop-up feeding it guesses so you can “see if it really blows up.” Do not reboot over and over to test the restart warning. Do not leave the machine online because you are afraid to touch the power button. Isolation is still the first job. Pulling a network cable is not the same thing as a reboot. A technician may still need to power the computer down. The pop-up does not get to write your incident plan.
If files later go missing, keep that fact for the report. Do not let a red warning in a hostile window become the reason you send 20 TON to a bot. A self-destruct line that lives only in attacker text is not a quote from a vendor. It is pressure.
This is not Vitya, not Kreepr, and not the old WOLF note
Two other current lockers use a pop-up instead of a desktop text file. Mixing them wastes the first hour. Vitya also points victims at Telegram. It does not print a TON amount in the lure the way Golden Woolf does. If your window names a Telegram handle and then refuses to name a coin total, you are not in this 20 TON story. Kreepr also talks through a window and also stamps a new ending on the original name. Kreepr prints no contact, no wallet, and no coin amount. If your window has a Decrypt box and nowhere to write, you are not in the @GetYourHash_bot shop.
An older 2021 locker used a wolf-themed name and a different stamp. That family wrote a long ending that included an onionmail address and then .WOLF. It asked people to write an email and pay in Bitcoin. It left a text file. Golden Woolf is not that note with a fresh coat of paint. The files here look like 1.jpg.wolf, not like a mail address glued into the filename. The checkout here is a Telegram bot and 20 TON, not a 2021 inbox.
Another older file, GoldenWolf42, used a .GoldenWolf42 ending and talked about Bitcoin and PayPal. That is a different costume. If your folder is full of .wolf names and a pop-up is sending you to @GetYourHash_bot, stay on this page. Do not follow a removal guide written for a different ending just because the word wolf appears in both titles.
There is no public unlock sitting behind the bot
No public decryptor is known for this strain. That can change if a trusted project later recovers keys or finds a flaw. Until a tool appears on an official project such as No More Ransom, treat any site that says “we already have the Golden Woolf key” as a second sales pitch. This page will not claim the files were recovered. They were not handed back here.
Scanner names, when they appear, are often generic. A toast that says Trojan or ransomware confirms you are looking at a hostile file, not a harmless rename glitch. It is not a promise that a free unlock tool is sitting in the same folder as the detection. This page will not reprint a grab-bag of vendor labels as if they were a product key. A family bucket is not a decryptor.
A detection can remove the active locker. It cannot roll back files that already grew .wolf. That is why a green scan after cleanup can still sit next to a dead photo folder. Cleanup and recovery are different jobs. Do the first so the second is not undone overnight.
How The Scam Works
You do not need a build guide to understand what Golden Woolf does to a home or office PC. The victim-facing story is short. Something runs. Everyday files pick up .wolf. A pop-up appears instead of a text note. The pop-up prints an ID, starts a clock of about 72 hours, and sends you to Telegram. The bot is @GetYourHash_bot. The printed bill is 20 TON. You are told to pay, send the TXID, take a key, and type it into a field that only allows three misses. Then the window threatens a self-destruct and tells you not to restart.
This section stays on that story. It is not a list of switches, offsets, or sample hashes. If someone asks you how to “make a Golden Woolf” or how to pull a key out of a binary, the answer is no. The useful work is isolation, a clean scan, and a restore from a backup that was not sitting on the same disk.
1. Something already ran
By the time you notice .wolf, the infection step is already behind you. Ransomware like this usually arrives the same ordinary ways other lockers do. A file from a chat. A cracked installer. A “codec” that was supposed to play one video. A remote-access leftover from last month’s “computer help” call. A document that asked you to enable something you should not have enabled.
You do not need to reconstruct the exact click to start protecting the rest of the house. Unplug the network if you can do that without turning the story into a reboot test. Stop the machine from talking to shared folders, cloud sync, and other PCs. The pop-up wants you staring at its 72-hour clock. The first useful move is quieter. Cut the path it can still walk.
If other computers use the same NAS, the same USB disk, or the same cloud account that was mounted on this PC, assume those copies may be in danger too. A locker that has already finished one Documents folder can still be hungry. Do not plug the backup drive into the sick machine “just to check.” Check it from a clean computer after you know the infected one is contained.
2. Everyday files pick up .wolf
The visible work is a pass through the folders people actually use. Photos. PDFs. Spreadsheets. Videos. Word documents. The original name stays. The original extension stays. Then .wolf is glued on the end. 1.jpg becomes 1.jpg.wolf. vacation.jpg becomes vacation.jpg.wolf. invoice-2026.pdf becomes invoice-2026.pdf.wolf. taxes.xlsx becomes taxes.xlsx.wolf. family.mp4 becomes family.mp4.wolf. contracts.docx becomes contracts.docx.wolf.
Windows may start calling each object a WOLF File. That is the operating system reading the new ending, not a new file format you can install an app for. There is no official Golden Woolf viewer. There is no store page that turns those bytes back into a vacation photo. “Open with” is a dead end. So is a bulk rename that tries to hide the stamp.
The listing can also show a tight cluster of modified times. A locker is a script with a job. It walks a tree and writes as it goes. A row of timestamps within a minute is a common look after an automated pass. It is a clue that the folder was processed, not a countdown you should try to beat by copying files while the machine is still infected.
Copying locked files to another disk can still be wise later, from a clean environment, so you keep a copy of the ciphertext. Doing that copy while the pop-up is live, onto the only backup you own, is how a second folder dies. Preserve first. Experiment never.
3. A window replaces the usual ransom note
After the rename, the demand is a pop-up. That is the costume change that throws people who have read about other families. They look for README.txt. They look for a decrypt HTML file. They look for a wallpaper with a wallet. Golden Woolf puts the speech on the glass instead.
The window is written to feel personal and inevitable. It wants you to believe the authors are in the room. It wants you to believe the next action has to happen inside that frame, or inside the Telegram chat the frame names. A frame is not a technician. A frame is not a court. A frame is not a bank. It is a message that happens to be drawn as a program window.
Because there is no text file, victims sometimes feel they have “less evidence.” You still have evidence. You have a folder of .wolf names. You have a screenshot of the pop-up if you can take one safely. You have the bot handle and the 20 TON line. Those things identify the incident. You do not need to start a chat so the paperwork feels normal.
4. The window sells panic with an ID and a 72-hour clock
The pop-up prints a unique ID. That string is how the bot will pretend to recognize you. It is also how a later helper will pretend to recognize you. Photograph the window if you can do that without typing into it. Do not copy an ID you saw in someone else’s screenshot and send it as if it were yours. Do not paste your ID into a public forum. An ID is a handle for the people who locked the disk. It is not a coupon.
Next to the ID sits a countdown of about 72 hours. Urgency is the cheapest tool in this trade. Seventy-two hours sounds specific, so it feels real. It is specific the way a fake shipping countdown is specific. The people who set it can wait, raise the number, or vanish. Your job in those 72 hours is not to beat the clock. Your job is to stop the spread and to keep a clean copy of what you still have.
The clock is aimed at the exact moment a normal person would do a normal thing. Call a relative. Search the extension. Look for a backup disk. The pop-up wants that moment to feel expensive. A printed timer is not a court date. It is a reason the authors hope you will open Telegram before you open a drawer.
5. Telegram turns the pop-up into a checkout
The listed contact is @GetYourHash_bot. The steps in the window are a script. Install Telegram. Send the ID. Wait for payment instructions. Pay 20 TON. Send the TXID. Take the key. Type the key into the pop-up. Each step feels smaller than the last, which is how a person who would never “pay a hacker” still ends up funding a bot.
Telegram is a real app. That is part of the costume. Opening a well known messenger feels safer than visiting a Tor site you have never heard of. A bot feels more official than a stranger’s inbox. Official is the wrong word. The handle is an attacker channel. Writing it does two jobs for them. It confirms a live victim. It starts a conversation they control, on a platform where the transcript is easy for them and hard for you to take back.
Do not install Telegram on the infected PC just because the pop-up told you to. Do not send the ID “only to ask a question.” Do not send a sample photo so the bot can “prove the key.” A test unlock, when crews offer one, is an old line. Unlocking a junk file does not unlock the tax folder. It does not prove the rest of the key will arrive. It does give them more of your data.
6. The 20 TON ask is already in the lure
Many notes hide the price so they can size you up. This one does not. The pop-up says pay 20 TON. The coin is TON cryptocurrency. That number is part of the lure, not a quote this page invented and not a $ figure converted on the way in. A round amount is easy to remember. It is easy to search. It is easy to repeat to a relative who is holding a phone and asking how bad it is.
A printed price is still not a contract. The people on the other end can take the 20 TON and disappear. They can send a string that fails in the key box. They can send a tool that only unlocks a few files. They can come back later and lock the same machine again. Paying does not close the hole that let the locker in. Official advice from projects such as No More Ransom and from CISA StopRansomware has been consistent for years. Payment does not ensure the files come back, does not ensure the system is clean, and does not ensure the same crew leaves you alone.
The TXID step is there to make the payment feel finished. You send proof. They send a key. That is how a shop works when both sides are bound by a receipt. This is not that shop. A TON transaction is public enough for them to see funds. It is not a refund window for you. Once the 20 TON leaves, the leverage sits with the bot.
7. Three misses, a self-destruct threat, and a ban on restarting
The key field is limited on purpose. Three attempts. After that, the pop-up claims the system will self-destruct. Next to that claim is a second order: do not restart the PC. Together those lines try to own two of the most ordinary moves a scared person makes. Guess. Reboot.
Guessing is how people turn a bad hour into a worse one. A reused password typed into a hostile window is now a password you should retire. A “key” copied from a stranger is now a sample you invited onto the desktop. A helper app that claims it will press the button for you is a second infection wearing a lab coat.
The restart ban is aimed at the exact moment a scanner, a relative, or your own habit would reboot the box. Sometimes a locker really does destroy more files when you interrupt it. Sometimes the sentence is only theater. You cannot tell from the wording. You can tell that the wording is trying to own your next click. A calm plan still beats a hostile warning. Disconnect the machine. Do not keep working in the same user session as if the pop-up were a dialog box in a real program. If a reboot is truly needed later, let that be a decision after isolation, not a reflex the window dared you into.
8. A second shop copies the bot and invents a better offer
After a ransomware incident, search results and inbox ads fill up with companies that say they can decrypt Golden Woolf or “all .wolf files.” Some of those shops are ordinary overpriced consultants. Plenty are a second scam. They will quote the extension back to you. They will mention Telegram so they sound close to the case. They will mention 20 TON as if the amount were a case number. They will ask for a sample file, a remote-access session, or a deposit.
The second scam has a friendly website and a case manager. It may even open one junk file, because anyone can decrypt a file they themselves just locked. Then the price rises, the chat dies, or the remote tool installs more malware. A screenshot of your pop-up in their sales copy does not make them a researcher. A promise to “talk to the bot for you” does not make them a middleman you should fund.
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 deposit in cryptocurrency. It does not need you to “hold a slot.” It does not need a key guess in the original pop-up. If the pitch is “we can decrypt, pay us first,” you are still in the market the ransomware created, even if the new shop uses a different chat than @GetYourHash_bot.
9. Paying the bot, or a later helper, still closes nothing
Even in families where a key sometimes arrives, payment is not a contract. Golden Woolf makes that warning concrete, because the lure already named the coin, the amount, the bot, and the key box. You can see the whole aisle. Seeing the aisle is not a reason to walk down it. The people who printed 20 TON are the people who locked vacation.jpg.wolf.
The same access that delivered Golden Woolf the first time can still be open. A payment, a guessed key, or a remote “unlock session” does not close the hole. Isolate. Keep the locked files. Look for clean backups. Look for a trusted decryptor if one exists. Do not start a relationship with the people who locked the disk, and do not start one with a stranger who only appeared after you searched the extension.
Do not type random keys into the three-attempt field. Do not pay 20 TON. Do not write to @GetYourHash_bot. The Telegram bot is the trap. If you already sent the ID or already typed a guess before you found this page, stop there. Do not keep experimenting inside that window, and do not send a TXID to finish a payment you now regret.
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 .wolf name exactly as it is. Do not bulk-rename vacation.jpg.wolf, invoice-2026.pdf.wolf, taxes.xlsx.wolf, family.mp4.wolf, or contracts.docx.wolf back to the old endings. Taking the stamp off is not a repair. It can make a later trusted tool worse, not better.
Keep a screenshot of the pop-up if you already have one. That window is how you prove this was Golden Woolf and not Vitya, Kreepr, or an older wolf-themed locker. It is evidence. It is not a control panel. Do not keep feeding the key field. Do not enter a password you use for email or banking. Do not paste a string a commenter called a universal key. You have three tries on the screen. That limit is part of the squeeze. It is not a reason to spend them.
Read the self-destruct claim the same way. The pop-up says three wrong keys will destroy the system. It says you must not restart the PC. That is attacker intimidation, not a stopwatch published here. It is not a reason to stay online. It is not a reason to reboot as a test. It is not a reason to pay 20 TON so a bot can “stop the clock.”
Do not open Telegram on the infected PC because the lure told you to. Do not send the printed ID to @GetYourHash_bot. Do not send the TXID. Do not type a key the bot later claims it generated. The bot is the checkout. Walking into it is how the 20 TON ask becomes a transfer. If a later message, a later wallpaper, or a later phone call offers a different chat because “the first bot is busy,” that is a new shop, not a repair of the old one.
If a later pitch names a $ figure, a second coin, or a “discount if you pay today,” that is still a ransom on top of the 20 TON already printed in the original window. Do not answer. Do not help them finish the flyer. Do not send a sample photo so they can “prove the key.” There is no public decryptor known for this strain, and this page is not going to pretend one was verified against these files.
The Bottom Line
Golden Woolf ransomware is a locker with a visible stamp and a pop-up that finishes the sale in Telegram. It appends .wolf to the original name. 1.jpg becomes 1.jpg.wolf. vacation.jpg becomes vacation.jpg.wolf. invoice-2026.pdf becomes invoice-2026.pdf.wolf. taxes.xlsx becomes taxes.xlsx.wolf. family.mp4 becomes family.mp4.wolf. contracts.docx becomes contracts.docx.wolf. The demand is a window, not a text note. The window prints an ID, a countdown of about 72 hours, a Telegram bot, and a bill of 20 TON.
The contact in the lure is @GetYourHash_bot. The ritual is send the ID, pay 20 TON in TON cryptocurrency, send the TXID, type the key. The key field allows three attempts. After three misses, the pop-up claims the system will self-destruct. It also says you must not restart the PC. Those destruction lines are attacker intimidation, not a behavior verified here. There is no public decryptor known for this strain.
This is not Vitya. Vitya can talk through Telegram and still withhold a TON amount. This is not Kreepr. Kreepr uses a pop-up and then prints no contact at all. This is not the 2021 wolf-themed locker that glued an email address into the filename and asked for Bitcoin. If the files end in .wolf and the window names the bot and the 20 TON, you are in this shop.
If you take one sentence with you, take this. A folder of names ending in .wolf, plus a ransom pop-up that sends you to @GetYourHash_bot for 20 TON, is ransomware on the first sighting. Do not type guesses into the three-attempt field. Do not pay the 20 TON. The Telegram bot is the trap.
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.
