Cryptolocker infestation being taken very seriously here. What news and what fixes?
And how exactly did you get this Cryptolocker infection ? Has Sir been clicking around on attachments he shouldn't be ?
You've been undertaking a proper backup routine. Format your computer forthwith and restore key files from backup (install software from scratch)
No backups ? No sympathy. Especially if you've been clicking on attachments in emails you should not have. Its not particularly difficult to avoid a virus infection. Don't even think about a fix or salvage operation... you should consider your entire operating system untrustworthy.
Oh, and how the hell can blackmailing thieves collect their ill-gotten gains without being captured?
My guess is one word.... bitcoin.
Unlike cards and bank transfers which bounce around regulated entities, the bitcoin marketplace is pretty much unregulated, and if you can find people who'll sell you stuff you want in return for bitcoins, you can avoid the regulated aspects of converting your bitcoins to real currency.
The anonymity of bitcoin makes it hard for the authorities to track people down, they only get to find out about bitcoin accounts as part of an overall investigation rather than be able to trace directly.
I suspect we'll see a clamp down and regulation of the market in due course once the non-tech savvy politicians of the world figure out what a bitcoin is and get their act together.