Abu Dhabi Police GHQ Virus
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
Abu Dhabi Police GHQ virus removal guide
The Abu Dhabi Police GHQ message blocks computer users' screens demanding payment of a $100 (500 AED or 100 Euro) fine using cashU. This is a scam, a ransomware virus created by cyber criminals with the purpose of tricking unsuspecting PC users from the United Arab Emirates into paying a fake fine for alleged law violations.
The deceptive message displayed by this ransomware states that a fine must be paid for watching pornography or using and distributing copyrighted content such as videos, music, software, etc. No international authorities including the Abu Dhabi Police GHQ use computer screen blocking messages to collect fines for any law violations.
Paying this $100 fine is equivalent to sending money to cyber criminals. This particular ransomware virus originates from a family called Urausy and targets PC users from the United Arab Emirates. Note that rogue messages such as these are localized, so that PC users from different countries observe variants of the same message.
Ransomware viruses are capable of determining the location of PCs they infiltrate by detecting the system's IP address. These messages are thus presented as if sent by local authorities and translated into the local language. For example, PC users from the USA see this message as if sent by the FBI Cybercrime Division, and computer users from Australia, as if sent from the Australian Federal Police.
A variant of this ransomware virus:
PC users from the United Arab Emirates should be aware that Abu Dhabi Police GHQ do not send this type of message. It is a scam and should not be trusted. Commonly, ransomware viruses from the Urausy family are proliferated using exploit kits, which are capable of infiltrating users' PCs through detected security vulnerabilities.
The best way to protect your operating system from deceptive screen locking messages is by using legitimate antivirus and anti-spyware software.
Note that keeping your operating system and installed software (Java, Flash, etc.) up-to-date also greatly reduces the risk of infection with ransomware and other malware. If your PC is already infected with the Abu Dhabi Police GHQ virus, use the removal instructions provided to eliminate this scam from your computer.
Abu Dhabi Police GHQ virus removal:
Step 1
Start your computer in Safe Mode. Click Start, click Shut Down, click Restart, click OK. During your computer starting process press the F8 key on your keyboard multiple times until you see the Windows Advanced Option menu, then select Safe Mode with Networking from the list.
Video showing how to start Windows 7 in "Safe Mode with Networking":
Step 2
Log in to the account infected with Abu Dhabi Police GHQ virus. Start your Internet browser and download a legitimate anti-spyware program. Update the anti-spyware software and start a full system scan. Remove the entries detected.
If you cannot start your computer in Safe Mode with Networking, try performing a System Restore.
Video showing how to remove a ransomware virus using "Safe Mode with Command Prompt" and "System Restore":
1. During your computer starting process, press the F8 key on your keyboard multiple times until the Windows Advanced Options menu appears, and then select Safe Mode with Command Prompt from the list and press ENTER.
2. When Command Prompt Mode loads, enter the following line: cd restore and press ENTER.
3. Next, type this line: rstrui.exe and press ENTER.
4. In the opened window click "Next".
5. Select one of the available Restore Points and click "Next" (this will restore your computer system to an earlier time and date, prior to the ransomware infiltrating your PC).
6. In the opened window click "Yes".
7. After restoring your computer to a previous date, download and scan your PC with recommended malware removal software to eliminate any remnants of the Abu Dhabi Police GHQ virus.
If you cannot start your computer in Safe Mode with Networking (or with Command Prompt), boot your computer using a rescue disk. Some variants of ransomware disable Safe Mode, making its removal difficult. For this step, you require access to another computer.
After removing the Abu Dhabi Police GHQ virus from your PC, restart your computer and scan it with legitimate antispyware software to remove any possible remnants of this security infection.
Other tools known to remove the Abu Dhabi Police GHQ virus:
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