Ransomware

HORSEMONEY virus [.HORSEMONEY file] ransomware removal

.HORSEMONEY Virus is a nasty Ransomware which appends .HORSEMONEY extension to file names after encrypting victims data. This nasty threat is the latest development of hackers behind Phobos Ransomware. Read this guide to know how to remove this virus and recover files.

SpyHunter 5 Anti-Malware

Threats like HORSEMONEY Virus keep getting back on PC if all associated files are not removed. So you are advised to use a powerful Malware Removal Tool to run a thorough scan of your PC and delete all threats at once.

Special Offer SpyHunter 5 Anti-Malware offers a 7-day fully-functional Free Trial. Credit card required, NO charge upfront. No charge if you cancel up to two business days before the trial period ends. Read SpyHunter 5 Review, and Free SpyHunter Remover details.
Compatible with: Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10 (32-bit and 64-bit)

What is HORSEMONEY Virus

If you encounter this dubious .HORSEMONEY malware on your system then it is safe to assume that all your files has been encrypted and you are not able to access any of your data. After successful encryption of your files, this nasty .HORSEMONEY File virus will also add its malicious extension to all the file names to marked them locked and then leave ransom note on your system demanding money to give you decryption key. It is a serious threat and all your files are now hijacked which can not be deciphered without the private key generated for your system.

.HORSEMONEY Virus will ask you in its ransom note that all your files are encrypted and they can be decoded but you will need a decryption key and that you can only get by paying ransom money through BitCoin. Hackers behind this threat will ask you to send some of your files with your unique ID for the free decryption to prove that they can recover your files once you pay the money. It is a phishing technique and most of users fall for this kind of trick. When .HORSEMONEY File virus recovers some of the encrypted files, then victims get more than willing to pay ransom money. They simply hope that they can recover all their files at once after paying ransom money.

Reqg Virus File Ransomware is also very similar type of infection that encrypts all the files on targeted computer and force victims to pay $980 USD in Bitcoins as ransom money. This virus belongsto the STOP/DJVU Ransomware family and has created a havoc among its victims. It uses a very powerful encrypt algorithm to render all the files on infected system useless until a decryption key is purchased by the user by paying ransom money to the hackers.

How your PC got Infected

.HORSEMONEY File Virus mostly enter your system secretly and thus you don’t even know notice when and how all your files got encrypted. Hackers use spam email techniques to send malicious attachments directly to the targeted machine through users inbox and virus get installed as soon as the user opens that mail. Your system could get infected by this nasty .HORSEMONEY file virus when you download bundled freeware programs, shareware applications, cracked software, illegal patches etc. from untrusted and shady websites that are more likely used by hackers for spreading malware.

This deceptive .HORSEMONEY Ransomware infection could also contaminate your system when you browse porn or torrent sites, click on ads, pop-ups, banners etc. that redirect your browser on malicious websites, share files on unsafe network and other social engineering attack methods. So you need to be very careful around the Internet if you want to avoid any malware attacks. You should also keep backup of all your important files in case of Ransomware intrusion.

HORSEMONEY Ransomware : Threat Analysis

Name HORSEMONEY
Type Ransomware, File-Encrypting virus
Extension .HORSEMONEY
Threat Level High (Encrypt all your data and Restrict access to your files).
Symptoms Victims cannot access any files on their PC and find Ransom note asking for money.
Damage HORSEMONEY will  encrypt your data by adding its extension to file names and demand ransom money for decryption key
Distribution It is mainly distributed through spam emails, bundled freeware, porn or torrent sites.
Removal Download SpyHunter 5 Anti-Malware
File Recovery Download Data Recovery Software Now

Why not pay Ransom money

One thing you should know that most of the victims complaints that they got cheated by .HORSEMONEY virus. They did not get any decryption key after they sent money on the hackers Bitcoin wallet. Cybercriminals even stop responding to their emails and they never get any reply about how to recover their files. So it is quite clear that paying extortion money is not a good idea because hackers do not restore encrypted data ever.

Ransom Note left by Eking Ransomware has following text message:

Hello,sir!Dont worry,your files are safe but you cant use it before our cooperating

Unfortunately for you, a major IT security weakness left you open to attack, your files have been encrypted
We can give you all decryption guarantees and important information to improve your IT skills
Price of decryption depends on how fast you will write us
If you want to restore your files write to our ICQ which works 24/7 - @HORSEMONEY
Install ICQ software on your PC here hxxps://icq.com/windows/ or on mobile phone from Appstore / Google Play Market search for "ICQ"
Write to our ICQ @HORSEMONEY hxxps://icq.im/HORSEMONEY/
Write your ID in the title of your message -

Attention!
Do not rename encrypted files.
Do not try to decrypt your data using third party software - it may cause permanent data loss.
We are always ready to cooperate and find the best way to solve your problem.
The faster you write - the more favorable conditions will be for you.
Our company values its reputation. We give all guarantees of your files decryption.
IF WE DONT SEE MESSAGES FROM YOU IN 72 HOURS - WE WILL SELL YOUR DATABASES AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO YOUR COMPETITORS AND OTHER HACKERS IN DARKNET.

What to do now

Now the fact is .HORSEMONEY virus has encrypted all your files you need them back but there is no way you can trust hackers for decoding your data after your pay the ransom fees. As there is no free decryptor available for the Phobos ransomware or this particular .HORSEMONEY file virus that makes the situation more harassing. So now you are left with some very important choices like first create backup of all your encrypted files and store them on any cloud drive. Now if you have backup of your data then you can simply remove this virus from your computer using the Automatic Malware Removal software and recover your files through backup.

If you don’t have have backup of your files, then you first remove HORSEMONEY virus and then try to recover your files through shadow file recovery which can only recover files from C drive. If you want to recover all your data then you can use Data Recover Software to restore all your files. Now if you want the free solution, you may have to wait for long time before any security company launch free decryptor.

Reinstalling the Windows or formatting your computer will not do any good because this virus can still get backup on your system, but it will eliminate any chance you have of recovering your files because your hard drive will get over written after which no data recovery process will work. So you are advised to follow below guide to permanently remove .HORSEMONEY File Virus from your computer and recover your files using data recovery software.

How To Remove HORSEMONEY Virus

HORSEMONEY File Virus is a dangerous malware that can cause major damage to your computer. This nasty threat will bring several new problems in your PC, so it very important to delete this malware permanently. When this kind of malware invades your system, it will make your system vulnerable. This nasty malware is capable of bringing other harmful viruses on your system without your consent. It can completely obliterate your system performance in no time. This virus also has tendency to hide its malicious copies at various locations on your PC under different names. It is not an easy job to find and remove those virus related files manually.

In this guide, you will find instructions for two very different techniques to get rid of HORSEMONEY Virus infection . The first one is the Automatic Removal which is quite fast, effective and accurate. The second method is Manual Removal which usually takes lots of time, needs technical expertise, and often fails to give desired results. However, it is advised to take help of both techniques to ensure complete removal of the malware from your system. In case you are not handy with system operations and techincal stuff, just opt for the automatic malware removal process to eliminate HORSEMONEY Ransomware. The Automatic Removal process is fast, precise, and error free whereas the Manual Removal process is time-consuming and a slight mistake can corrupt the entire operating system. We advised you to take the help of both methods to completely eliminate the virus from your PC.

Automatic HORSEMONEY Removal Guide

As you already know that, HORSEMONEY Virus is a notorious and cunning malware that is not hard to remove easily by any user through manual means. This virus can keep coming back on the infected computer through files and shortcuts or settings that it has already created on your machine. Removing all those at once is the only way to get rid of this infection and stop it from getting on your system ever again.

So the best way to remove HORSEMONEY effectively is to use a powerful Automatic Removal Tool and save your time and efforts. This software is a well-trusted and very powerful anti-malware program that can detect all hidden threats like Trojan, Ransomware, Worms, Spyware, Rootkits, and many others. It also provides 24X7 customer support and one-on-one Spyware HelpDesk support for Custom Malware removal. Advanced System Guard feature detects and removes threats in real-time. It has a very User-Friendly Interface and regular Malware updates make it most effective against the latest malware attacks.

How SpyHunter 5 Anti-Malware Works

  • First, you need to click on the below download button to get the software.

Geek’s Recommendation

Some time threats like HORSEMONEY keeps getting back on the machine if all associated files are not removed. So you are advised to use a powerful Malware Removal Tool to run a thorough scan of your PC and delete all threats at once.

SpyHunter 5 Anti-Malware offers a 7-day fully-functional Free Trial. Credit card required, NO charge upfront. No charge if you cancel up to two business days before the trial period ends. Read SpyHunter 5 Review, and Free SpyHunter Remover details.

  • Then double-click on the installer you downloaded to install the program.

SpyHunter Installeruser access control

  • Launch Anti-Malware application and Start Scan Now of your PC.

Scan for HORSEMONEY

  • The software will scan your PC for all hidden threats and viruses on your system.

Scan for HORSEMONEY

  • Click on the Next button to see results and delete HORSEMONEY and other threats.

Remove HORSEMONEY

How To Recover Your Encrypted Files

Now all your files got encrypted by the .HORSEMONEY Virus then you need to recover your data without paying ransom money to hackers. If your files are important then you must have created a backup and you can use that backup to recover your files. If you don’t have a backup or this virus has encrypted your backup files, then you are left to seek professional help.

We recommend you use powerful data recovery software to restore your files encrypted .HORSEMONEY File Virus. It is a risk-free and smart way. You can just download the free version and scan your PC for files. There is a high probability that it can recover most of your files in a fraction of the amount that hackers are demanding. It is also needless to say that paying hackers will only motivate hackers to carry out more attacks.

  • First, you need to download Data Recovery software on your PC.

Download Data Recovery Software Now

  • Install the program, launch it then select the Data type to recover, and click the Next button.

select Data type

  • Select the location from where you want to recover data and click the Scan button.

Select location

  • After the scan, software will list all files, select them and click the Recover button.

Recover HORSEMONEY encrypted files

Manual HORSEMONEY Removal Guide

Before you start Manual Removal
Please Bookmark This Page by pressing the {ctrl+D} button or print it out on paper before you start the Manual Removal because you may need to restart your PC or browser.) Attention! For the safety of your system, please confirm few things before you begin Manual Removal of HORSEMONEY Ransomware:
  1. You have done this before, which means you have experience in removing the virus manually;
  2. That you know your way around PC and  all necessary process and applications;
  3. You know about Registry entry and the Serious repercussions of any mistake;
  4. Make sure you can reverse any mistake made during .HORSEMONEY Virus manual removal.

If you don’t attain any of the above standards, then manual removal could be a very risky idea. It is most likely best for you to use the Automatic Malware Removal Tool to find and delete HORSEMONEY Virus, which is totally secure and efficient method.

Compatible with: Windows 11/10/8/7 (32 Bit and 64 Bit)

Special Offer SpyHunter 5 Anti-Malware offers a 7-day fully-functional Free Trial. Credit card required, NO charge upfront. No charge if you cancel up to two business days before the trial period ends. Read SpyHunter 5 Review, and Free SpyHunter Remover details.

 

Start PC in safe mode with networking

  • Press Windows Key + R buttons together on the keyboard.
  • Type msconfig in the Run Box then click the OK button.
  • Click on the Boot tab then the System configuration window will appear.
  • Choose Safe Boot, check the network box, Click Apply, and press the OK button.

Safe boot

Kill Malicious Process From Task Manager

  • Press Windows Key + R buttons together on the keyboard.
  • Type taskmgr in Run Box and then click the OK button.
  • Find HORSEMONEY related or any malicious process.
  • Now right-click on it then click End process.

Stop HORSEMONEY related task

How To Uninstall HORSEMONEY from Windows PC

  • First of all Press Windows Key + R buttons together.
  • Type appwiz.cpl in the Run box and then click the OK button.
  • Now Programs and Features windows will appear on the screen.
  • Find and remove all HORSEMONEY related or malicious programs.

Remove HORSEMONEY

Warning: Do not play with Windows registry, host file of restore options if you don’t have previous experience with. Removing wrong files may break your system entirely. So if you are not sure, then stick to the Automatic Malware Removal option.

Compatible with: Windows 11/10/8/7 (32 Bit and 64 Bit)

Special Offer SpyHunter 5 Anti-Malware offers a 7-day fully-functional Free Trial. Credit card required, NO charge upfront. No charge if you cancel up to two business days before the trial period ends. Read SpyHunter 5 Review, and Free SpyHunter Remover details.

Remove Virus related Windows Registry entries

  • Press Windows Key + R buttons together on the keyboard.
  • Type regedit in Run Box and then click the OK button.
  • Registry Editor will open, then press CTRL +F buttons together.
  • Now type HORSEMONEY and then click on Find Next button.
  • Find all the related entries and delete them one by one

Remove HORSEMONEY related registry

Delete Virus related files from your PC

When a threat gets on to a PC, it most likely creates some files at different locations on the system. These files are used to perform a specific action and also help malware in getting back to the computer once it’s removed. So you just need to find also delete all those files associated with this .HORSEMONEY File Virus. For that follow the below instruction :

  • Press Windows Key + R buttons together on the keyboard
  • Type each of the following in Run Box and press the OK button
  1. %AppData%
  2. %LocalAppData%
  3. %ProgramData%
  4. %WinDir%
  5. %Temp%

For the first four options, look for any recent folder related to the .HORSEMONEY File Virus and remove them. For the Temp folder, you can delete all the files.

Remove HORSEMONEY Virus via system restore

  • Press Windows Key + R buttons together on the keyboard.
  • Type cmd in Run Box and then click the OK button.
  • Type cd restore and press Enter, then type rstrui.exe and press Enter.
  • When the System Restore window opens on your computer screen click the Next button, then choose a System Restore point you have created in the past and click the Next button.
  • Finally, click on the Yes button to start the system restoration process.

Remove HORSEMONEY via system restore

Note: This will only work if you have a restore point set on your PC or it will give an error message. Restoring the computer to a previous version may or may not remove .HORSEMONEY File Virus. Most of the time, viruses just delete all the restore points. If this trick does not work for you then don’t get disappointed.

After restoring your computer, we recommend you run a thorough scan of the PC using a Powerful Anti-Malware program to detect and remove any hidden threats. In most cases, viruses may spread through any files outside of the C drive because system restoring only affect the C drive. There may be some Virus related files hiding your PC, and it never hurts to double-check.

Sometimes, system restore doesn’t work or viruses can just remove the restore points. As such you will probably have no other choice than to choose the Automatic Removal Process. It is the best and error-free method to find and remove threats from your computer. Additionally, you should also check some important malware prevention tips provided here in this guide to avoid similar virus attacks in the future.

Remove HORSEMONEY Virus From MacOS

If you are a mac user, and your machine got infected by this nasty file-encrypting malware then you need to remove it as soon as possible. Although Mac systems are quite safe they still do get infected. So you can delete this infection using the below steps:

Stop Malicious Program From Activity Monitor

  • First, you need to open Utilities folder on your Mac system.
  • Find the Activity Monitor icon and double-click on it to open it.
  • Find HORSEMONEY related process, click the cross button from the upper left side corner to end task.
  • A pop-up dialogue box will appear on the screen, click on the Force Quit button.

Remove Virus From Application Folder

  • First, go to the Dock option (bottom of your screen) then click on Finder App.
  • Now you have to open the Applications Folders to see all the programs.
  • Find HORSEMONEY or any other unwanted program then move it to Trash.

Remove HORSEMONEY From Mac

Remove HORSEMONEY Virus Related Files From Mac

When any program is installed on your Mac, it creates several files on your system that support the functioning of that application. If you need to remove any virus from your Mac, then you need to delete all related files completely. These files could be found at :

  1. LaunchAgents
  2. Application Support
  3. LaunchDaemons

Follow below steps to remove virus related files from these locations:

  • First of all press the Command+Shift+G buttons together on your keyboard.
  • Now you can see Go To Folder option on your Mac screen.
  • Type in /Library/LaunchAgents in the text field and click on Go button.
  • Find and remove any HORSEMONEY Virus related or malicious file.

Now follow the same process for Application Support and LaunchDaemons folders. But be careful, don’t delete any important files or you can break down your entire system.

Attention: If you are not tech-savvy, then it could be quite difficult to remove HORSEMONEY File Virus manually from your Mac. The best way is to download SpyHunter Mac Anti-Malware and see if it can detect all hidden threats and viruses on your computer. It’s really super easy and you should give it a try.

How SpyHunter Mac Anti-Malware Works

  • First, download the SpyHunter for Mac by clicking on the below button.

Some time threats like HORSEMONEY Virus keep getting back on the machine if all associated files are not removed. So you are advised to use a powerful Malware Removal Tool to run a thorough scan of your Mac and delete all threats at once.

SpyHunter for Mac offers a 15-day fully-functional Free Trial. Credit card required, NO charge upfront. No charge if you cancel up to two business days before the trial period ends. Read SpyHunter for Mac Review, and Free SpyHunter Remover details.

  • Now go to the Download Folder from the Docs and Install the SpyHunter Anti-Malware For Mac.

Install SpyHunter for Mac

  • Launch the Program, and click on Start Scan Now button.

Spyhunter for Mac start scan now

  • Software will start running a a full scan of your mac instantly to look for any malware, virus, threats, malicious programs or security risk and so on.

Spyhunter for mac scanning

  • Finally you will see a list of malwares detected on your mac, now click on Next button to start the removal process.

Remove Malware with spyhunter for mac

Tips To Prevent .HORSEMONEY Virus in Future

  • Use a good anti-virus, be it a free version but don’t use cracked security programs.
  • Make sure that your Windows firewall is active, so it can block upcoming threats.
  • Keep your Windows/Mac OS and other programs updated to avoid vulnerabilities.
  • Download updates only from official websites, don’t use suspicious sites.
  • Never download and install pirated software, games, or illegal patches on your PC.
  • Do not open spam emails from an unknown sender and scan all attachments before opening.
  • Never download freeware third-party programs from unreliable sources or websites.
  • Avoid connecting your PC to unsafe public Wi-Fi to protect your privacy.
  • You can also use a VPN to spoof your connection and avoid malicious sites.
  • Create a system restore point on your system for security purposes.
  • Keep backup of all your important files to avoid data loss.

Report cyber attack to Authorities

If you are also a Victim of HORSEMONEY virus then you should report this cybercrime incident to legal authorities in your county. Here is the list of some of the official government websites for reporting fraud and scam activities:

You can also search to find the Internet Crime Authority in your country. Meanwhile, it will not help you remove or restore your files in any way but it’s merely information to authorities. Once you register your complaint, authorities might look into and take preventive measures to stop further attacks. However, don’t get lured by third-party criminal reporting sites or fake technical support websites. They are more like to cheat you instead of helping you.

Still, having issues? Need help?

Some time threats like HORSEMONEY keeps getting back on the machine if all associated files are not removed. So you are advised to use a powerful Malware Removal Tool to run a thorough scan of your PC and delete all threats at once.

Compatible with: Windows 11/10/8/7 (32 Bit and 64 Bit)

Special Offer SpyHunter 5 Anti-Malware offers a 7-day fully-functional Free Trial. Credit card required, NO charge upfront. No charge if you cancel up to two business days before the trial period ends. Read SpyHunter 5 Review, and Free SpyHunter Remover details.

About the author

Robert Calvert

Robert is the Chief Security Expert and Founder of PCSafetyGeek.com website. He is a cybersecurity enthusiast who loves to research about Malware outbreaks and write about their remedies. He also like to spend time trying new software, reviewing them and sharing IT news. However he is a real coffee lover and likes to play chess in spare time (which is quite rare 😜).

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