Geek's Advice

PayFast ransomware encrypts files on victim’s computer to make them inaccessible

PayFast ransomware is categorized as a file-encrypting virus that originates from ZEPPELIN ransomware family. This virus is set to scan victim’s computer folders and encrypt all personal files detected on them, plus mark them with an additional .payfast extension followed by victim’s ID. To illustrate, file originally called 1.jpg may appear as 1.jpg.payfast400-332-991 after malicious modification. During this procedure, the malware drops !!! ALL YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED !!!.TXT note on the desktop, which contains a brief message from the ransomware operators. The ransom note instructs to pay a ransom worth $500 or 0.013 BTC to provided BTC address and contact the criminals via payfast500@mail2tor.com email address or Telegram account called @payfast500.

The sole aim of PayFast ransomware is to lock victim’s personal files such as documents, photos, videos, archives, sheets, and other data formats using military-grade encryption algorithms. Such algorithms are used to secure information so that only the one who has the private decryption key could access it. However, in this case, the cybercriminals use these technologies to take victim’s files hostage and then demand paying a ransom for their decryption tools. Additionally, the malware deletes Volume Shadow Copies from the Windows OS, ensuring that the user won’t be able to restore files using System Restore points.

The attackers suggest that the computer user needs to pay 0.013 BTC in order to decrypt files on the same day, or the price will increase the next day. They also provide an email address so that the victim can contact them. Additionally, they say that the victim can send one small file for test decryption, although this file should not contain valuable information since recovering it might deter the user from paying the full ransom amount altogether.

Geek’s Advice team as well as FBI and other cybersecurity experts do NOT RECOMMEND paying the ransom to such crooks. There are many reasons why you shouldn’t:

• Cybercriminals simply cannot be trusted. Even if you fulfil all of their demands, they can start ignoring you and fail to respond at all. Remember – their primary target is your money.
• Ransomware actors collect millions in ransoms each year, which lures other people to join RaaS schemes and help distribute these computer viruses faster. Please, do not contribute to the growth of this cybercrime industry by funding them with your hard-earned money!
• In some countries, paying the ransom might be considered an illegal act.

If you have been infected with this file-distorting malware, we strongly recommend that you remove PayFast ransomware virus from your Windows computer as soon as possible. We recommend using a trustworthy security software to do it automatically, for example, a VB100 certified INTEGO Antivirus. After cleansing malware remains, we recommend downloading RESTORO to repair virus damage on Windows OS files.

Ransomware Summary

REMOVE MALWARE & REPAIR VIRUS DAMAGE

Ransomware-type virus distribution explained

In order to protect yourself from future ransomware attacks, it is worth getting to know how these computer viruses are typically distributed. The distribution methods used are quite common and hasn’t changed a lot over the last years.

One of the most common ransomware proliferation methods heavily relies on malicious email spam campaigns. The criminals tend to create legitimate-looking and very convincing emails that look like they were sent by a reputable company or even a colleague. Such emails usually are accompanied by one or several attachments in PDF, DOCX, XLS or RAR formats and are named as “invoice/pending payment information/receipt/tracking information.” The message advises to view attached contents immediately and reply to the email with required information. However, the attachments are filled with malicious scripts that are set to download malware from an external source and execute it on victim’s computer. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you stay away from emails you weren’t waiting for, or if the email itself gets marked as spam.

Another well-known ransomware distribution technique is disguising the payload in a form of a popular software crack or keygen. If you tend to look for those on various file sharing sites, you are in high risk of getting infected with similar ransomware virus. Cybercriminals know that these kinds of downloads are very popular since many users try to bypass software license fees. Our recommendation is to rely on trustworthy and official software vendor’s sites only if you want to get a safe copy of desired software. Trust us when we say that legitimate software license always costs less than hefty ransoms demanded by virtual crooks.

Remove PayFast ransomware virus and decrypt your files

You should never leave an infected computer for long periods of time because you do not know what additional damage the malware might be causing in the background. For this reason, we strongly recommend you to remove PayFast ransomware virus along with other potential threats using INTEGO Antivirus or another antivirus software of your choice. To finalize the recovery after a file-encrypting virus attack, we recommend downloading RESTORO and using it to repair malware damage to Windows OS files.

We have prepared an in-depth PayFast ransomware removal guide for you. Follow the given instructions to boot your PC in Safe Mode with Networking and start the uninstall procedure. If you’re looking for a decryption tool, your best bet is data backups created prior to the attack. Once an official decryption tool launches, we will update this article.

OUR GEEKS RECOMMEND

Our team recommends a two-step rescue plan to remove ransomware and other remaining malware from your computer, plus repair caused virus damage to the system:

STEP 1. REMOVE AUTOMATICALLY WITH ROBUST ANTIVIRUS

REMOVE & PROTECT WITH INTEGO

Get INTEGO ANTIVIRUS for Windows to remove ransomware, Trojans, adware and other spyware and malware variants and protect your PC and network drives 24/7.. This VB100-certified security software uses state-of-art technology to provide protection against ransomware, Zero-Day attacks and advanced threats, Intego Web Shield blocks dangerous websites, phishing attacks, malicious downloads and installation of potentially unwanted programs.

Use INTEGO Antivirus to remove detected threats from your computer.

Read full review here.

STEP 2. REPAIR VIRUS DAMAGE TO YOUR COMPUTER

DOWNLOAD RESTORO

RESTORO provides a free scan that helps to identify hardware, security and stability issues and presents a comprehensive report which can help you to locate and fix detected issues manually. It is a great PC repair software to use after you remove malware with professional antivirus. The full version of software will fix detected issues and repair virus damage caused to your Windows OS files automatically.

RESTORO uses AVIRA scanning engine to detect existing spyware and malware. If any are found, the software will eliminate them.

Read full review here.

GeeksAdvice.com editors select recommended products based on their effectiveness. We may earn a commission from affiliate links, at no additional cost to you. Learn more.

Alternative software recommendations

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

Removing spyware and malware is one step towards cybersecurity. To protect yourself against ever-evolving threats, we strongly recommend purchasing a Premium version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, which provides security based on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Includes ransomware protection. See pricing options and protect yourself now.

System Mechanic Ultimate Defense

If you're looking for an all-in-one system maintenance suite that has 7 core components providing powerful real-time protection, on-demand malware removal, system optimization, data recovery, password manager, online privacy protection and secure driver wiping technology. Therefore, due to its wide-range of capabilities, System Mechanic Ultimate Defense deserves Geek's Advice approval. Get it now for 50% off. You may also be interested in its full review.

Disclaimer. This site includes affiliate links. We may earn a small commission by recommending certain products, at no additional cost for you. We only choose quality software and services to recommend.

Norbert Webb

Norbert Webb is the head of Geek’s Advice team. He is the chief editor of the website who controls the quality of content published. The man also loves reading cybersecurity news, testing new software and sharing his insights on them. Norbert says that following his passion for information technology was one of the best decisions he has ever made. “I don’t feel like working while I’m doing something I love.” However, the geek has other interests, such as snowboarding and traveling.