Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) Ransomware

Posted: July 16, 2013

Threat Metric

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Ranking:	3,754
Threat Level:	1/10
Infected PCs:	5,975

First Seen:	July 16, 2013
Last Seen:	October 16, 2023
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The 'Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)' Ransomware is a fake Police Trojan that creates inaccurate pop-up alerts through your browser while also blocking your use of other applications. During these attacks, the 'Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)' Ransomware requests you to pay a 'fine' through Ukash on behalf of Australia's law enforcement agencies, but this request is illegal, and all accusations and threats related to the 'Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)' Ransomware's attacks are bluffs. To remove the 'Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)' Ransomware's lockdown without paying its illegal ransom, SpywareRemove.com malware experts recommend disabling the 'Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)' Ransomware with standard security procedures and then using anti-malware products to delete the 'Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)' Ransomware safely.

Why the Acronym Alone isn't Worth Trusting When Your PC is on Lockdown

The 'Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)' Ransomware is a minor variant of preexisting Police Ransomware Trojans, with a warning message that's specialized for targeting residents of Australia. Related PC threats, however, have spanned the globe with their attacks, with such cases looked over by SpywareRemove.com malware researchers as the Metropolitan British Police Ransomware, the Serious Organised Crime Agency Ransomware, the Policía Nacional del Ecuador Ransomware, the Latvijas Valsts Policija Ransomware, the Emniyet Genel Müdürlüğü Ransomware, or the 'Agence Nationale de la Sécurité des Systèmes D'information' Virus. All of these PC threats, including the 'Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)' Ransomware, attempt to portray themselves as tools of law enforcement agencies instead of what they really are: Police Ransomware Trojans designed and distributed by criminals.

The 'Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)' Ransomware and its relatives use pop-up alerts that are modified versions of the standard browser pop-up, with changes made to prevent you from minimizing or closing the pop-up. Along with this pop-up, which threatens your PC on behalf of agencies like ACMA, the AFP Crime Commission and Australia's military police, the 'Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)' Ransomware also will block you from using most other applications that aren't critical to launching Windows.

Although the 'Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)' Ransomware claims that these attacks have been issued to prevent your PC from being used for future acts of previously-verified crimes, SpywareRemove.com malware research team stresses that the 'Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)' Ransomware attacks PCs at random. The 'Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)' Ransomware does not have any ties to the Australian government or any other reputable organization and never should be paid to unlock your computer as its pop-up alert insists.

The Authority to Boot 'Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)' Ransomware from Your PC

System lockdowns initiated by the 'Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)' Ransomware always should be considered malware attacks to be evaded and exterminated as quickly as possible, and may be accompanied by other attacks that don't leave obvious symptoms on your computer. Because of the difficulty in using other programs while the 'Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)' Ransomware's pop-up is blocking your desktop, SpywareRemove.com malware researchers suggest booting your computer from a removable device before you try to remove the 'Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)' Ransomware.

Despite the faux-legal aggression of the 'Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)' Ransomware's pop-up, it should be emphasized that removing the 'Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)' Ransomware without paying its fine will not harm your computer or break any laws. While Australian residents are in the most danger of being affected by the 'Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)' Ransomware, as noted earlier, other variants of Police Ransomware Trojans have been known to attack many other countries.

Technical Details

Additional Information

The following messages's were detected:

#	Message
1	Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) AFP. Crime Commission (ACC) Royal Australian Corps of Military Police Interpol Attention! Your computer has been blocked for safety reasons listed below. 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 Commonwealth of Australia criminal law. Article 161 of Commonwealth of Australia 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 of pirated music, video, warez) and of use use and/or dissemination of copyrighted content. Thus, you are suspected of violation of Article 148 of Commonwealth of Australia Criminal Law. Article 148 of Commonwealth of Australia 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 computer, that unauthorized access had been stolen to information of State importance and to data closed for public Internet access. . <more fake legal threats> . 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 AUD $100. You can pay a fine Ukash vouchers. As soon as the money arrives to the Treasury account, your computer will be unblocked in course of 24 hours. Then in 7 day term you should remedy the breaches associated with your computer. Otherwise your computer will be blocked up again and criminal case will be opened against yourself (with no option to pay fine).

Message

Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)
AFP. Crime Commission (ACC)
Royal Australian Corps of Military Police
Interpol
Attention!
Your computer has been blocked for safety reasons listed below.
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 Commonwealth of Australia criminal law.
Article 161 of Commonwealth of Australia 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 of pirated music, video, warez) and of use use and/or dissemination of copyrighted content. Thus, you are suspected of violation of Article 148 of Commonwealth of Australia Criminal Law.
Article 148 of Commonwealth of Australia 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 computer, that unauthorized access had been stolen to information of State importance and to data closed for public Internet access.
.
<more fake legal threats>
.
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 AUD $100. You can pay a fine Ukash vouchers.
As soon as the money arrives to the Treasury account, your computer will be unblocked in course of 24 hours.
Then in 7 day term you should remedy the breaches associated with your computer. Otherwise your computer will be blocked up again and criminal case will be opened against yourself (with no option to pay fine).