CompuTips

What is Clown ransomware?

Clown is a new ransomware virus in the Chaos family. This seemingly-unusual name is derived from the file extension used by the virus.
Just like every other program in the ransomware category, Clown encrypts files so that it can demand ransom. But it also renames these files, giving them the aforementioned .clown file extension. This is not the first time the hackers have made a ransomware virus with a humorous name; they likely do this to make it harder for the victims to look up the virus online.
The hackers’ demands are outlined in the “read_it.txt” file, pictured on the image above. The hackers demand 2.1473766 BTC, which is completely unreasonable; currently, one Bitcoin costs around 25,000 US dollars. So you will have to pay more than $50,000 to recover your files (the ransom note states that you will have to pay $24,622.70, but this information is wrong).
Obviously, very few people are willing to pay more than fifty grand to recover their files, even if these files are quite important to them. Luckily, there is an alternative. Read the guide below to learn how to remove Clown ransomware and decrypt .clown files without paying this outrageous sum of money to the hacker.