Remove FBI or Police virus from iPhone and iPad (iOS Guide)

Photo of author

Written by: Stelian Pilici

Published on:

If your iPhone or iPad (iOS) device is locked, and you are seeing a “ATTENTION! Your phone has been blocked up for safety reasons” notification from a law enforcement agency (FBI, Australian Federal Police, Metropolitan Police, U.S. Department of Justice) asking you to pay a fine via GreenDot MoneyPak, Ukash or Paysafecard code, then your iPhone or iPad has stumbled upon a malicious web page.
FBI Virus on Iphone

Fake FBI WARNING

This fake notification is nothing more than a malicious javascript page, and does not drop any malicious files on users iPad or iPhone.
When users are redirected to this malicious websites, a javascript will display a bogus notification that pretends to be from an official law enforcement agency (examples: Irish An Garda Síochána, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Police Central e-crime Unit, Australian Federal Police) and states that your browser has been blocked due to it being involved with the distribution of pornographic material, SPAM and copyrighted content.

The malicious website will lock you out of your Safari web browser, so whenever you’ll try to navigate to a webpage, it will display instead a lock screen asking you to pay a non-existing fine of $300 in the form of an MoneyPak, Ukash, Paysafecard or MoneyGram Xpress voucher. The malware’s authors prefer these payment services because transactions made through them cannot be reversed and are hard to trace.
Furthermore, the malicious website will claim that all your file are encrypted. The good news is that this website doesn’t scramble any of your data or exfiltrate audio and video as it claims; it merely locks your phone with a popover browser window that quickly reappears if you try to get clear of it.

Is my iPhone or iPad phone infected with the Police or FBI virus?

If your computer is infected with the iPhone or iPad phone virus, this infection will display a localized webpage that covers the Safari web browser screen and demands payment for the supposed possession of illicit material.
Cyber criminals often updated the design of this lock screen, however you should always keep in mind that the Federal Bureau of Investigation or any other police agency will never lock down your iPhone or iPad phone.
The message displayed by this ransomware infection can be localized depending on the user’s location, with text written in the appropriate language:

ATTENTION! Your phone has been blocked up for safety reasons listed below.
All the actions performed on this phone are fixed.
All your files are encrypted.
CONDUCTED AUDIO AND VIDEO.

You are accused of viewing/storage and/or dissemination of banned pornography (child pornography/zoophilia/rape etc.) You have violated World Declaration on non-proliferation of child pornography. You are accused of committing the crime envisaged by Article 161 of United Stated of America criminal law.

Article 161 of United States of America criminal law provides for the punishment of deprivation of liberty for terms from 5 to 11 years.

Also, you are suspected of violation of “Copyright and Related rights Law” (downloading pof pirated music, video warez) and of use and/or dissemination of copyrighted content. Thus, you are suspected of violation of Article 148 of United States of America criminal law.

Article 148 of United States of America criminal law provides for the punishment of deprivation of liberty for terms from 3 to 7 years or 150 to 550 basic amounts fine.

It was from your phone, that unauthorized access had been stolen information of State importance and to data closed for public Internet access.

[…]

The penalty set must be paid in course of 48 hours as of the breach. On expiration of the term, 48 hours that follow will be used for automatic collection of data on yourself and your misconduct, and criminal case will be opened against you.

Amount of fine is 300$. You can settle the fine with MoneyPak xpress Packed vouchers.

As soon as the money arrives to Treasury account, you phone will be unblocked and all information will be decrypted in course of 24 hours.

This FBI or Police notification is a scam, and you should ignore any alerts that this malicious website might generate.
Under no circumstance should you send an $300 MoneyPak or MoneyGram Xpress voucher to these cyber criminals, and if you have, you can  should request a refund, stating that you are the victim of a computer virus and scam.

How to remove Police or FBI virus from iPhone or iPad (Removal Guide)

  1. Launch the Settings app from the Home screen of your iPhone or iPad.
    Tap on Settings Iphone
  2. Scroll down and tap on Safari
    Safari Iphone
  3. Now scroll all the way to the bottom and tap on Advanced.
    Advanced option iPhone
  4. Tap on Website Data.
    iPhone Website Data
  5. Scroll to the bottom again and tap on Remove All Website Data.
    Remove All Website Data iphone
  6. Confirm one more time you’d like to delete all data.
How to Stay Safe Online

Here are 10 basic security tips to help you avoid malware and protect your device:

  1. Use a good antivirus and keep it up-to-date.

    Shield Guide

    It's essential to use a good quality antivirus and keep it up-to-date to stay ahead of the latest cyber threats. We are huge fans of Malwarebytes Premium and use it on all of our devices, including Windows and Mac computers as well as our mobile devices. Malwarebytes sits beside your traditional antivirus, filling in any gaps in its defenses, and providing extra protection against sneakier security threats.

  2. Keep software and operating systems up-to-date.

    updates-guide

    Keep your operating system and apps up to date. Whenever an update is released for your device, download and install it right away. These updates often include security fixes, vulnerability patches, and other necessary maintenance.

  3. Be careful when installing programs and apps.

    install guide

    Pay close attention to installation screens and license agreements when installing software. Custom or advanced installation options will often disclose any third-party software that is also being installed. Take great care in every stage of the process and make sure you know what it is you're agreeing to before you click "Next."

  4. Install an ad blocker.

    Ad Blocker

    Use a browser-based content blocker, like AdGuard. Content blockers help stop malicious ads, Trojans, phishing, and other undesirable content that an antivirus product alone may not stop.

  5. Be careful what you download.

    Trojan Horse

    A top goal of cybercriminals is to trick you into downloading malware—programs or apps that carry malware or try to steal information. This malware can be disguised as an app: anything from a popular game to something that checks traffic or the weather.

  6. Be alert for people trying to trick you.

    warning sign

    Whether it's your email, phone, messenger, or other applications, always be alert and on guard for someone trying to trick you into clicking on links or replying to messages. Remember that it's easy to spoof phone numbers, so a familiar name or number doesn't make messages more trustworthy.

  7. Back up your data.

    backup sign

    Back up your data frequently and check that your backup data can be restored. You can do this manually on an external HDD/USB stick, or automatically using backup software. This is also the best way to counter ransomware. Never connect the backup drive to a computer if you suspect that the computer is infected with malware.

  8. Choose strong passwords.

    lock sign

    Use strong and unique passwords for each of your accounts. Avoid using personal information or easily guessable words in your passwords. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on your accounts whenever possible.

  9. Be careful where you click.

    cursor sign

    Be cautious when clicking on links or downloading attachments from unknown sources. These could potentially contain malware or phishing scams.

  10. Don't use pirated software.

    Shady Guide

    Avoid using Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file-sharing programs, keygens, cracks, and other pirated software that can often compromise your data, privacy, or both.

To avoid potential dangers on the internet, it's important to follow these 10 basic safety rules. By doing so, you can protect yourself from many of the unpleasant surprises that can arise when using the web.

28 thoughts on “Remove FBI or Police virus from iPhone and iPad (iOS Guide)”

  1. Thank you for this.
    My iPad browser recently locked threatening Metropolitan Police action if I didn’t pay a fine via an iTunes Gift Card number sent via SMS message to a listed number. I knew it was a scam as the British Police do not work in this manner but still, worry-some all the same
    Again, Thank You

  3. Hi thank you I was baffled when it piped up I rang the police . I followed it step by step and it worked thank you

  4. Thank you Stelian, just saved my 9 year old from having a melt down created by a mix of fearing the police were coming to get her and losing all her stuff on her iPod ;-)

  6. I’m a bit confused.
    It says they have turned on camera and sound. I dont want tobbe watched or heard so how do Istop that

  7. It says camera and sound has been turned on.? Im really worried.are you sure its fake? Or is it real??

  10. I think I did it be resetting my IPad and restoring it from a few days earlier. Do you think this should work the same?

  11. Thank you very much for giving us these specific instructions to us, it was very helpful, and definitely appreciate it.

  12. Thank you very much for giving us these specific instructions to us, it was very helpful, and defiantly appreciate it.

  13. Thank you very much for giving us these specific instructions to us, it was very helpful, and defiantly appreciate it.

  14. Thank you very much for giving us these specific instructions to us, it was very helpful, and definitely appreciate it.

  19. Before I do this …on my iPad …can you tell me what to do once what you say here is done? What should I expect to see as far as my Safari browser is concerned..? Will I have to re find all the web pages that I visit regularly…some not so regularly …that is why I saved them.

  21. Hi I have the fbi you need to pay us virus on my iPad I have seen several guides to unlocking by going into safari settings however I can’t even get that far, my screen is black with Apple on front occasionally flips blue then back to black again- I have tried hard reset but cannot get beyond this screen to get into the settings ? Please help !!

  23. Thank you so much! My son got the message on his iPad and your instructions worked. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

  28. Thank you just saved me $200 Aus my iPad locked up displaying same message followed your instructions thank you

Leave a Comment

Previous

Remove Content Cleaner from SaveSoft (Uninstall Guide)

Next

How to remove Shell&Services Ads (Virus Removal Guide)