Remove “Your browser has been locked” virus from Windows PC

If you are using a Windows PC, and you are seeing a “Your browser has been locked” notification within Internet Explorer, Firefox or Chrome, then you have stumbled upon a web page contains a malicious javascript code.

The “Your browser has been locked” virus will display a web page containing javascript that does not allow you to close the browser window or switch to a different web page.
The “Your browser has been locked” virus will display a bogus notification that pretends to be from your local law enforcement agency (eg: FBI, Department of Justice, Royal Canadian Mounted Police or Police Central e-crime Unit) and states that your computer has been blocked due to it being involved with the distribution of pornographic material, SPAM and copyrighted content.
It goes on to say that you need to pay a ransom of $300 in order to get access to your files and computer again. In order to pay this ransom you need purchase a MoneyPak voucher and submit it in the web browser.
The malware’s authors prefer these payment services because transactions made through them cannot be reversed and are hard to trace.
Furthermore, to make this alert seem more authentic, this virus also has the ability to access your installed webcam, so that the bogus Your browser has been locked notification shows what is happening in the room.

If your computer is infected with “Your browser has been locked” browser hijacker, this infection will display a localized webpage that covers the entire web browser of the infected computer and demands payment for the supposed possession of illicit material. The message displayed by this ransomware infection can be localized depending on the user’s location, with text written in the appropriate language.

Cyber criminals often updated the design of this lock screen, however you should always keep in mind that no law enforcement agency (eg: FBI, Department of Justice, Royal Canadian Mounted Police or Police Central e-crime Unit) will never lock down your computer or monitor your online activities.

The text of the “Your computer has been locked browser” hijack screen is:

The FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Cyber Department

All activities of this computer have been recorded
All your files are encrypted. Do not try to unlock your computer!
Your browser has been blocked due to at least one of the reasons specified below.
You have been subjected to violation of Copyright and Related Rights Law (Video, Music, Software) and illegally using or distributing copyrighted contents, thus infringing Article 1, Section 8, Clause 8, also known as the Copyright of the Criminal Code of United States of America.
Article 1, Section 8, Cause 8 of the Criminal Code provides for a fine of two to five hundred minimal wages or a deprivation of liberty for two to eight years.

You have been viewing or distributing prohibited Pornographic content (Child Porno photos and etc were found on your computer). Thus violating article 202 of the Criminal Code of United States of America, provides for a deprivation of liberty for four to twelve years.

Illegal access has been initiated from your PC without your knowledge or consent, your PC may be infected by malware, thus you are violating the law on Neglectful Use of Personal Computer. Article 210 of the Criminal Code provides for a fine of up to $100,000 and/or deprivation of liberty for four to nine years.
Pursuant to the amendment to Criminal Code of United States of America of May 28, 2011, this law infringement (if it is not repeated – first time) may be considered as conditional in case you pay the fine of the States.

To unlock your computer and avoid other legal consequences, you are obligated to pay a release fee of $300, payable through GreenDot MoneyPak (you have to purchase MoneyPak card, load it with $300 and enter the code). You can buy the code at any shop or gas station. MoneyPak is available at the stores nationwide.

Your browser will be unblocked within 3-12 hours after the money is put into the State’s account.

Please note: Fine must be paid within 12 hours. As soon as 12 hours elapse, the possibility to pay the fine expires. All PC data will be detained and criminal procedures will be initiated against you if the fine is not paid.

The text of the popup that is displayed when you try to close the browser window is:

Your browser has been locked.

All PC Data will be detained and criminal procedures will be initiated against you if the fine will not be paid

The “Your browser has been locked” lock screen is a scam, and you should ignore any alerts that this malicious software might generate.
Under no circumstance should you send a MoneyPak or Paysafecard 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 the “Your browser has been locked” virus (Removal Guide)

This page is a comprehensive guide, which will remove the “Your browser has been locked” 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.
STEP 1: Remove “Your browser has been locked” browser hijacker from Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome
STEP 2: Remove “Your browser has been locked” virus with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free
STEP 3: Double-check for the “Your browser has been locked” infection with HitmanPro

STEP 1: Remove “Your browser has been locked” browser hijacker from Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome

1. Open Task Manager by right-clicking the taskbar, and then clicking Start Task Manager.
   
2. Click the Processes tab to see a list of all the processes that are currently running under your user account and a description of each process.
   
   To view all of the processes currently running on the computer, click Show processes from all users.
3. Scroll through the list till you see your web browser’s process and left-click on it once so it becomes highlighted. Once you have selected the browser’s process, click on the End Process button as show in the picture below.
   
   If you are unsure of the process name to close, please see the list below:
   • For Internet Explorer search for iexplore.exe
   • For Chrome search for chrome.exe
   • For Opera search for opera.exe
   • For Firefox search for firefox.exe
4. When you click on the End Process button, Task Manager will ask you to confirm if you are sure you want to terminate it as shown in the image below.
   
   At this point you should press the Yes button in order to kill the process.
5. Your browser window should now be closed. The next time you open your browser, do not allow the browser to open the last opened page.

STEP 2: Remove “Your browser has been locked” virus with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free utilizes Malwarebytes powerful technology to detect and remove all traces of malware including worms, trojans, rootkits, rogues, dialers, spyware and more.

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. MALWAREBYTES ANTI-MALWARE DOWNLOAD LINK(This link will open a download page in a new window from where you can download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free)
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.
   
3. On the Scanner tab, select Perform quick scan, and then click on the Scan button to start searching for “Your browser has been locked” malicious files.
   
4. Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware will now start scanning your computer for “Your browser has been locked” virus as shown below.
   
5. When the Malwarebytes Anti-Malware scan has finished, click on the Show Results button.
   
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.
   

STEP 3: Double-check for the “Your browser has been locked” infection with HitmanPro

HitmanPro is a second opinion scanner, designed to rescue your computer from malware (viruses, trojans, rootkits, etc.) that have infected your computer despite all the security measures you have taken (such as anti virus software, firewalls, etc.).

1. You can download HitmanPro from the below link: HITMANPRO DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a web page from where you can download HitmanPro)
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.
   Click on the Next button, to install HitmanPro on your computer.
   
3. HitmanPro will now begin to scan your computer for “Your browser has been locked” malicious files.
   
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 the “Your browser has been locked” virus.
   
5. Click on the Activate free license button to begin the free 30 days trial, and remove all the malicious files from your computer.
   

Your computer should now be free of “Your browser has been locked”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 “Your browser has been locked” Ukash virus from your machine, please start a new thread in our Malware Removal Assistance forum.