Scorpio ransomware virus: what it is and how to remove it
Scorpio ransomware is a version of Scarab virus, and its main purpose is to encrypt files on victim's computer to get a ransom. The encryption procedure consists of several essential tasks - finding target files, encrypting them, corrupting their original filenames and adding .[Help-Mails@Ya.ru].scorpio file extensions to them.
Facts checked October 6, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation. Sections marked as our earlier report are the original text: they describe the threat as it was then and have not been reviewed since. The 2026 status, the removal steps and the questions are current.
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Scorpio ransomware virus: summary
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
|---|---|
| Ransom note | Not recorded in our earlier report |
| Contact | Help-Mails@Ya.ru, Help-Mails@Ya.Ru, alexous@bk.ru |
| Encrypted file extension | .scorpio |
| Decryptor | No free decryptor is known for this variant; check No More Ransom (nomoreransom.org) for updates |
| Distribution | Not recorded in the old report |
| Removal | Scan the PC with security software to find and remove the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 9 more facts
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
|---|---|
| Name | Scorpio ransomware virus |
| Type | File-encrypting ransomware |
| Symptoms | Files renamed with a new extension |
| Evidence | 4 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| Encrypted files | .scorpio |
| Free decryptor | No free decryptor is known (checked 6 October 2026) |
| First seen | 12 July 2017 |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
Traces of Scorpio ransomware virus you can check
- File extension:
.scorpio
How Scorpio ransomware virus behaves
From our report of Jul 2017 · not reviewed since
Scorpio ransomware is yet another malicious program used by extortionists
Scorpio ransomware is a version of Scarab virus, and its main purpose is to encrypt files on victim's computer to get a ransom.
The encryption procedure consists of several essential tasks - finding target files, encrypting them, corrupting their original filenames and adding .[Help-Mails@Ya.ru].scorpio file extensions to them.
Once the files are encrypted, the virus creates and saves IF YOU WANT TO GET ALL YOUR FILES BACK, PLEASE READ THIS.txt file, which happens to be the ransom note. It contains victim's personal identifier and instructions on how to get the automatic decryptor.
Cyber criminals suggest writing to Help-Mails@Ya.Ru or second email address - alexous@bk.ru for information about data recovery options. The ransom note doesn't disclose how much money criminals want to receive from the victim, so it is possible that fraudsters tell a different ransom price for each victim.
Cyber crooks behind this ransomware provide an opportunity to test their decryption tools - they ask the victim to provide up to 3 files no larger than 5 Mb in size via email. They promise to deliver decrypted file copies in a reply email.
However, the frauds provide one additional rule - the files shouldn't contain valuable information, so the victim should not send databases, backups, large excel sheets and similar files to test the decryptor.
Ransomware is simply a virtual extortion tool. We do not recommend you to follow cybercriminals' instructions because they do not provide any guarantees to you. Even if they have a working data decryptor, it doesn't mean that you are going to receive it after paying the ransom. Besides, think about the consequences - paying the ransom simply allows criminals to fund their further illegal projects.
We hope that you have a data backup - it allows restoring the majority of corrupted data. If you do not have it, we suggest trying data recovery solutions provided below Scorpio virus removal tutorial. When trying to eliminate the virus, you should be using a professional anti-malware software like because it can clean up your system from dangerous files and programs precisely.
Trying to perform the same task manually, especially without a baggage of certain knowledge about computers and malware, can result in a failure. Before you do anything to remove Scorpio malware, reboot PC using instructions provided below the article.
How to remove Scorpio ransomware virus
Tools you'll need
All of these are free except where noted. Download them on a clean device if the infected PC is offline.
- A USB stick: to keep the ransom note, two or three encrypted files and screenshots off the infected PC.
- Microsoft Defender Offline: built into Windows 11 and Windows 10; scans before Windows starts, so running malware cannot hide.
- Microsoft Safety Scanner: a second, portable scanner with current signatures; each download works for 10 days.
- ID Ransomware: identifies the family from the note and one encrypted file and says whether a decryptor exists.
- No More Ransom: the free decryptors from police and security companies; check it again every few months.
- Fortect (optional): scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. The free scan is in the box above.
How to remove Scorpio ransomware virus and get your files back
Work in this order.
Disconnecting comes first, removal comes before any restore, and nothing here asks you to contact the attackers.
Step 1: Disconnect the PC and unplug backup drives
Scorpio ransomware virus encrypts everything it can reach, including drives and shares you connect later. Cut the network first: cable out, or Wi-Fi off from the taskbar.
Then unplug every USB stick and backup disk and pause cloud sync, so the encrypted versions do not replace your online copies. Do not reconnect any of them until the ransomware is removed from the Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC.
Windows 11: turn off Wi-Fi to take the PC offline. Full procedure with screenshots: Ransomware: first steps, finding a decryptor and recovering files
Step 2: Save the ransom note and identify the family
Find the ransom note, usually a
.txt,.htmlor .hta file in every folder or on the desktop, and copy it with one or two encrypted files to a USB stick.From another device, upload them to ID Ransomware or No More Ransom's Crypto Sheriff, which name the family from the note and the file extension. Write down the contact address and your personal ID from the note for the report.
Warning: Never contact the attackers from the infected Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC.
Windows 11: the ransom note and encrypted files to copy for identification. Full procedure with screenshots: Ransomware: first steps, finding a decryptor and recovering files
Step 3: Check for a free decryptor
For Scorpio ransomware virus, no free decryptor is known (checked 6 October 2026). Search the family name in the No More Ransom decryption tools list and in the free decryptors of Emsisoft, Avast and Kaspersky, because new tools appear years after an attack.
Important: Keep the encrypted files even if nothing works today, and do not pay before every free option is ruled out: payment does not guarantee a working key.
Decryptors run on Windows 11 and Windows 10, but only after the ransomware itself is removed.
Full procedure with screenshots: Ransomware: first steps, finding a decryptor and recovering files
Step 4: Remove the ransomware before you restore or decrypt
Restoring or decrypting files while Scorpio ransomware virus still runs lets it encrypt them again. Run a Full scan in Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, then the Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan).
If the ransomware blocks Windows Security, start Safe Mode with Networking and scan from there. Some families install a password stealer as well, so let both scans finish on Windows 11 or Windows 10.
Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
Step 5: Look for shadow copies of the files
Open Command Prompt as administrator and run
vssadmin list shadows. If it lists copies dated before the attack, right-click a folder with encrypted files in File Explorer, choose Properties > Previous Versions, and open or restore a version from before that date.ShadowExplorer, a free tool, shows the same copies when the tab is empty or hidden. Most current families delete shadow copies, so an empty list is normal, but the check takes two minutes on Windows 11 or Windows 10.
Windows 11: vssadmin list shadows shows whether shadow copies exist. Full procedure with screenshots: Ransomware: first steps, finding a decryptor and recovering files
Step 6: Restore the files from a backup or recover deleted originals
Restore from an external backup, File History or OneDrive's version history, choosing a date before the attack. Connect the backup drive only after the scans are clean, or the ransomware encrypts it too.
If there is no backup, file recovery software can sometimes find the deleted originals, because some ransomware writes an encrypted copy and deletes the original file.
Stop writing to the drive and try recovery on Windows 11 or Windows 10 before new files overwrite the space.
Full procedure with screenshots: Recover deleted files (Recycle Bin, backups, OneDrive) On uGetFix
Instructions for each browser and system
The detailed steps for every browser and system this guide covers. Open the one you use.
Manual removal using Safe Mode
Important! →
Manual removal guide might be too complicated for regular computer users. It requires advanced IT knowledge to be performed correctly (if vital system files are removed or damaged, it might result in full Windows compromise), and it also might take hours to complete. Therefore, we highly advise using the automatic method provided above instead.
Step 1. Access Safe Mode with Networking
Manual malware removal should be best performed in the Safe Mode environment.
Windows 7 / Vista / XP
- Click Start > Shutdown > Restart > OK.
- When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 button (if that does not work, try F2, F12, Del, etc. - it all depends on your motherboard model) multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
- Select Safe Mode with Networking from the list.
Windows 10 / Windows 8
- Right-click on Start button and select Settings.
- Scroll down to pick Update & Security.
- On the left side of the window, pick Recovery.
- Now scroll down to find Advanced Startup section.
- Click Restart now.
- Select Troubleshoot.
- Go to Advanced options.
- Select Startup Settings.
- Press Restart.
- Now press 5 or click 5) Enable Safe Mode with Networking.
Step 2. Shut down suspicious processes
Windows Task Manager is a useful tool that shows all the processes running in the background. If malware is running a process, you need to shut it down:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Click on More details.
- Scroll down to Background processes section, and look for anything suspicious.
- Right-click and select Open file location.
- Go back to the process, right-click and pick End Task.
- Delete the contents of the malicious folder.
Step 3. Check program Startup
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Go to Startup tab.
- Right-click on the suspicious program and pick Disable.
Step 4. Delete virus files
Malware-related files can be found in various places within your computer. Here are instructions that could help you find them:
- Type in Disk Cleanup in Windows search and press Enter.
- Select the drive you want to clean (C: is your main drive by default and is likely to be the one that has malicious files in).
- Scroll through the Files to delete list and select the following:
Temporary Internet Files
Downloads
Recycle Bin
Temporary files - Pick Clean up system files.
- You can also look for other malicious files hidden in the following folders (type these entries in Windows Search and press Enter):
%AppData%
%LocalAppData%
%ProgramData%
%WinDir%
After you are finished, reboot the PC in normal mode.
From our report of Jul 2017 · not reviewed since
Tips to keep malicious programs at bay
Users who wish to keep malware like ransomware away from their computers should follow certain tips to keep their computers and data protected.
Besides, following these tips can also help you to protect your privacy while surfing the world wide web. For more tips, we suggest visiting NoVirus website .
- Stay away from suspicious letters that reach your email account. If you do not know the sender of it, do not open email attachments or links that came with it.
- Avoid visiting websites that contain a lot of aggressive ads. If you feel that the site triggers a banner or a pop-up whenever you click on something, quit it. Besides, if your computer opens similar ads at random times, you should check your PC for adware.
- Enable automatic updates for all programs installed on your computer. This way, you will have the latest and of course, the safest versions of them.
- Create a data backup.
- Use anti-spyware or anti-malware program. If you do not have it, you can choose or .
- Never disclose your personal information on vague Internet sites. Avoid entering your email address into questionable online forms, because cyber criminals can use it to send deceptive emails to you.
From our report of Jul 2017 · not reviewed since
Remove Scorpio ransomware virus and restore your records
Remove Scorpio virus before you try to unlock your files.
The easiest way to get rid of the described cyber threat is to install an anti-malware software and let it scan the entire computer system. It will collect all of the virus' remains and delete them for you. Please do not take the risk of causing more problems by trying to delete the ransomware manually!
After completing the automatic Scorpio removal, you can start thinking about possible data recovery techniques. As we mentioned before, the easiest way to restore all of your files is to import them from a data backup. In case you can't take advantage of a data backup because you simply do not have it, try data recovery methods described below.
[GI=method-1]To remove Scorpio ransomware from a compromised computer, you need to prepare the machine first. Reboot your PC using instructions prepared by our team, and then download a security program (if you do not have it yet) or update the one you already own and run it.
Using data recovery tools
When files get corrupted or deleted, computer users can try various data recovery tools available on the market today. Below, you can find a short guide on how to use it.
Using Windows Previous Versions feature
Windows Previous Versions feature can be used in case you created a system restore point in the past.
ShadowExplorer is a tool that might help you to restore those .scorpio file extension files. Remember that it can only work in case the virus left Volume Shadow Copies on your system.
Report it and recover your files
Report it
Report the attack even if you do not expect the files back: insurers and banks ask for the report number, and police use the contacts in the note to link cases.
- United States
- FBI IC3 · FTC ReportFraud
- United Kingdom
- Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud) · NCSC
- Australia
- ReportCyber (ASD)
- EU countries
- Europol: national reporting sites
Give the victim ID, the note and the date the files were encrypted. A business that holds personal data may also have to notify its data protection authority, in the EU within 72 hours.
Make the next attack harmless
Scorpio ransomware virus could only hurt the files that had no second copy, and the signs (files that end in .scorpio and no longer open) showed exactly which ones those were. The 3-2-1 rule fixes that:
- three copies
- two media
- one disconnected
A practical version for a home PC: OneDrive or another cloud backup with version history, plus an external disk that you plug in once a week for File History and then unplug. Test a restore now and then by opening a few files from the backup on another device.
Details, schedules and what not to back up are in our 3-2-1 backup guide for Windows.
Access your website securely from any location
When you work on the domain, site, blog, or different project that requires constant management, content creation, or coding, you may need to connect to the server and content management service more often. The best solution for creating a tighter network could be a dedicated/fixed IP address.
If you make your IP address static and set to your device, you can connect to the CMS from any location and do not create any additional issues for the server or network manager that needs to monitor connections and activities. VPN software providers like can help you with such settings and offer the option to control the online reputation and manage projects easily from any part of the world.
Recover files after data-affecting malware attacks
While much of the data can be accidentally deleted due to various reasons, malware is one of the main culprits that can cause loss of pictures, documents, videos, and other important files.
More serious malware infections lead to significant data loss when your documents, system files, and images get encrypted. In particular, ransomware is is a type of malware that focuses on such functions, so your files become useless without an ability to access them.
Even though there is little to no possibility to recover after file-locking threats, some applications have features for data recovery in the system. In some cases, can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection.
Questions about Scorpio ransomware virus
Is there a decryptor for .scorpio files?
That depends on the family behind the .scorpio extension, which this guide cannot confirm yet from the reports alone. Check No More Ransom and ID Ransomware with your ransom note and one encrypted file; they list families with free tools.
If none exists today, keep the encrypted files and a copy of the note on a separate drive, because decryptors are sometimes published months later after flaws are found or servers are seized. Never buy a decryptor from a website that is not the security company that made it.
How do I open .scorpio files?
You cannot open them by renaming or by choosing another program. The .scorpio ending shows that Scorpio ransomware virus encrypted the content, and only the matching key can reverse it. Renaming a file back to .docx or .jpg changes nothing except the icon, and it can confuse a future decryptor, so leave the names as they are.
To get the content back, use a backup, an unencrypted copy elsewhere, or a decryptor listed on No More Ransom if one exists for Scorpio ransomware virus. Store the encrypted files on an external disk until then.
Did Scorpio ransomware virus steal my files or passwords?
We do not know yet. Nothing published so far shows data theft by Scorpio ransomware virus, but the only confirmed sign is files that end in .scorpio and no longer open, which says nothing about what happened before. Many current ransomware attacks copy files or run a password stealer first, so it is wise to act as if they did.
From a clean device, change the passwords that were saved in the browsers on this PC, starting with e-mail and banking, sign out of all sessions and turn on two-step verification. Watch bank statements and account activity for the next few weeks.
Can a data-recovery company decrypt my files for a fee?
Only if a decryptor already exists or the company pays the attackers for you. Some "ransomware recovery" services advertise that they can decrypt families with no known flaw; in practice they negotiate with the attackers and add their own fee. Others use the same free tools listed on No More Ransom.
Before you hire anyone, ask in writing how they will recover the files, whether they will contact the attackers and what happens if they fail. A legitimate service answers clearly. If a free decryptor exists for your family, you can run it yourself.
Should I pay the ransom?
We advise against it, and so do the FBI, Europol and national cyber agencies. Payment does not guarantee a working tool: some attackers never reply, some tools damage files, and some variants have no decryptor at all. Paying also funds further attacks and can make you a target again.
Before considering payment, try every recovery option in this guide and report the attack. Companies must involve their legal adviser and insurer, because payments to sanctioned groups can be illegal. If files are truly irreplaceable, store the encrypted copies and wait; decryptors sometimes appear later.
How did Scorpio ransomware virus get on my computer?
The way Scorpio ransomware virus spreads has not been documented yet, so look at your own recent activity. On home PCs, ransomware most often comes with cracked programs, game cheats, key generators and fake updates, or with an e-mail attachment that was opened. On business networks, attackers usually log in through Remote Desktop with a stolen or guessed password.
Think back to what was downloaded or installed in the days before files that end in .scorpio and no longer open, and check the Downloads folder and Installed apps sorted by date. Keep anything suspicious for your report, but do not run it again.
Is Scorpio ransomware virus the same as other ransomware with a similar name?
Not necessarily. Ransomware names come from the file extension, the note or a word in the code, so unrelated families often end up with similar names, and one family can appear under several names. The difference matters: a decryptor or advice for one family does not fit another and can damage files.
Compare the ending added to your files and the exact name of the note with the summary table at the top of this guide, then upload the note and one encrypted file to ID Ransomware from a clean device. If the result names another family, follow the guide for that family instead.
Should I reinstall Windows after the .scorpio attack?
Reinstalling removes the ransomware but not the encryption: your files ending in .scorpio stay encrypted afterwards. So first copy the encrypted files and the ransom note to a separate drive, in case a decryptor appears later. Then decide:
- a clean-up with an offline scan is often enough for home PCs
- while a full reset is safer if remote access was involved
- scans keep finding new items
Restore your backups only after the PC is clean, and change passwords from another device.
If I delete Scorpio ransomware virus, do my files come back?
Unfortunately not. Deleting the program only ends the attack; every file that already has the .scorpio ending stays encrypted, because decryption needs a key that only the attackers hold.
That is why this guide separates removal from recovery. First make sure Scorpio ransomware virus is gone with an offline scan, then work through the recovery list:
- backups
- OneDrive history
- Previous Versions
- copies on other devices and
- if one exists
- a decryptor
Do not rename or edit the encrypted files in the meantime, and keep them even if nothing works today.
Will Fortect remove Scorpio ransomware virus?
Fortect scans Windows for malware and unwanted programs and repairs the system files and settings they change, and its free scan shows what it finds on your PC before you decide anything.
For Scorpio ransomware virus, follow the plan above as well: the browser steps take back permissions and settings that no scanner treats as a threat, and uninstalling the program that brought it removes the source.
Run Microsoft Defender's full scan and, if anything was found, its offline scan as a second opinion. If the symptoms are gone after the plan and both scans are clean, there is nothing more to do.
Sources
- Silicon Republic: Ransomware is the best problem infosec has had in decades (read October 6, 2026)
- Kaspersky Blog: Why you should NOT pay ransom to malware creators (read October 6, 2026)
- CISA: StopRansomware (read October 6, 2026)
- No More Ransom (read October 6, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 6, 2026)