The Mssecteam Tech Support Scam

You can be sure that you have become a victim of The Mssecteam Tech Support Scam if you are presented with the screen-locking window and cannot reach your Desktop. Cyber criminals behind this scam try to convince users that Microsoft Security Team is the one that has locked the screen because of detected illegal behavior. Even though you can perform no activities using your computer due to the locked screen and the window displayed to you has a Microsoft Corporation logo, you should not believe a single word you see in front of your eyes because the window covering Desktop is completely fake, and it is a part of The Mssecteam Tech Support Scam. Since users are asked to pay a certain amount of money, there is no doubt that cyber criminals behind this scam are just seeking to extort money from gullible computer users. Do not be one of them – do not believe a single word written in the “Notice from Microsoft Corporation”, and go to get rid of The Mssecteam Tech Support Scam in order to unlock the screen and continue using the computer normally.

There is no doubt that The Mssecteam Tech Support Scam is the one responsible for placing the screen-locking window if you see a message claiming that all activities on your PC have been recorded and files have been encrypted with the ZhuangZi encryption method (obviously, it is a fake encryption method too) “due to violation of Copyright and Related right laws and illegally using and distributing copyrighted contents.” More specifically, users are accused of using an illegal copy of the Windows OS, distributing spam using Botnet, distributing the copyrighted content via Torrents, and visiting malicious websites with the intention of downloading malicious software. There is no doubt that these accusations are made only to scare users into paying the required amount of money. At the time of writing, users are asked to download the TOR browser onto a different computer and go to pay 0.5 Bitcoin (users are instructed to write an email to mssecteam@sigaint.org to find out where they need to send money). They are told that purchasing the private key stored on an “Internet service”, as they call it, is the only way to unlock encrypted files and no third-party software can do that for free. Paying the required money might really seem to be the easiest and quickest solution to the problem; however, according to specialists, it would be a sin to transfer money to crooks because the window opened to you is not genuine, and it has nothing to do with the Microsoft Corporation. The Mssecteam Tech Support Scam is the one locking your computer, meaning that the screen can be unlocked by deleting malicious software fully from the computer. Sadly, The Mssecteam Tech Support Scam removal will not be a piece of cake because it is capable of terminating the Windows Explorer, i.e. Desktop, and blocking the Task Manager, which is an important system utility, as recent research has revealed.

Users are exposed to The Mssecteam Tech Support Scam because, undoubtedly, they have not managed to protect their computers from malicious software. At the time of writing, there is not much information about its distribution, but it is evident that users do not agree to see The Mssecteam Tech Support Scam voluntarily. Most probably, malware gets installed on their computers when they download untrustworthy software from P2P or other dubious third-party websites, click on malicious links, or just have actively working malicious programs which keep downloading extra threats without permission. Specialists come across fake tech-support scams almost every day. Evidently, this is one of the most popular methods to obtain money from users. Therefore, according to security specialists, a reputable security application should be installed and enabled on every computer. It does not mean, of course, that users no longer need to be cautious after installing an automatic tool.

The only way to unlock the screen is to get rid of The Mssecteam Tech Support Scam. After doing that, you will find that your files are intact and you could use your computer freely again. We hope that our manual removal instructions will make it easier for you to clean your computer, but if it happens that nothing changes after performing all the removal steps, an automatic malware remover, such as SpyHunter, should be used. It will delete all existing infections within seconds.

Remove The Mssecteam Tech Support Scam manually

Boot info Safe Mode with Networking

Windows 7/Vista/XP

1. Reboot your computer.
2. Start tapping F8 to reach the Advanced Boot Options menu.
3. Select Safe Mode with Networking using arrow keys.
4. Press Enter.
5. If you use Windows XP, you might need to click YES too.

Windows 8/8.1/10

1. At the sign-in screen, press and hold the Shift key.
2. Click Power.
3. Click Restart.
4. Click Troubleshoot.
5. Select Advanced options.
6. Click Startup Settings.
7. Click on the Restart button.
8. Press F5 to enable Safe Mode with Networking.

Delete malicious files

1. After booting into Safe Mode with Networking, open the Windows Explorer (Win+E).
2. Open and check the following directories: %USERPROFILE%\Desktop, %USERPROFILE%\Downloads, and %TEMP%.
3. Delete all suspicious files from these places.
4. Restart your computer.