Russian police are reportedly investigating a criminal gang that installed malicious “ransomware” programs on thousands of PCs. The criminals reportedly used news sites to spread their malicious software, known as WinLock, which disables certain Windows components, rendering the PC unusable, and then displays pornographic images. To unlock the code, victims must send SMS messages that cost between 300 rubles (US$9.72) and 1,000 rubles. The scam may have hit as many as 1 million PCs in the Russian-speaking world.”]
Source: https://www.csoonline.com/article/2125913/moscow-probes-alleged-ransomware-gang.html