Unfortunately, for every complaint there have probably been several victims who have paid up without saying anything. Conceptually, ransomware is a social engineering attack that preys on people's fears of exposure (even if totally innocent) or desire to avoid hassle.

"We are getting dozens of complaints every day. Unlike other viruses Reveton freezes your computer and stops it in its tracks. And the average user will not be able to easily remove the malware," said Donna Gregory of the FBI's IC3 unit. Victims , she said.

Earlier this month the UK's Police Central e-Crime Unit (PCeU) about an unidentified ransomware Trojan that had hit over a thousand PCs. This was almost certainly also the work of Reveton, the notoriety of which has surged in a matter of months across the globe.