The MonaRonaDona Extortion Scam

According to an analysis by Russian anti-virus maker Kaspersky Lab, MonaRonaDona is noisy because its author is hoping the victim will conduct a Google search for instructions on how to remove it. The second result in a Google search for "monaronadona" is a Digg.com article linking to an anonymous blog entry with instructions on downloading and using a product called "Unigray Antivirus." One blog claims Unigray "is considered the best for removing the monaronadona virus compared to the other spyware / antivirus programs." There are a few other prominent results that sing the praises of Unigray Antivirus, including a YouTube.com video.

What these results won't tell you up front is that Unigray Anitvirus costs $39.90. It also fails to mention what Kasperksy analysts figured out on their own: That while Unigray Antivirus will in fact remove the dreaded MonaRonaDona virus, that is the only piece of malware it is designed to remove.

If you're a victim of this extortion scam, please don't pay up. Several self-help groups have free instructions on how to remove this thing. These instructions over at DSL Reports seem to have helped a number of victims remove MonaRonaDona without problems.