Remove adware distributed via the "Flash Player Might Be Out Of Date" scam
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is "Flash Player Might Be Out Of Date"?
The "Flash Player Might Be Out Of Date" scam is distributed through a dubious website that uses the Amazon AWS service. This scam page is used to trick people into downloading a fake Flash Player installer (setup file) that is bundled with various adware and/or browser hijackers.
In summary, scammers use this web page to trick people into installing unwanted applications such as adware and browser hijackers. People are often redirected to websites of this type by potentially unwanted apps (PUAs) installed on their computers or browsers.
When visited, this scam page suggests that the installed version of Flash Player might be out-of-date and does not include the latest security updates. It is also stated that Flash Player might not work until the update is downloaded and installed.
Another pop-up window recommends that Flash Player needs to be updated, since MacOS performance might be reduced and a phone could be damaged. Do not trust this scam, as downloading and opening this Flash Player setup file will cause installation of a browser hijacker or adware.
If installed, adware shows ads that lead to dubious or even malicious websites. Some examples of these applications are WindowArea, MatchKnowledge, and Top Results. In some cases, if clicked, these ads run scripts that download and install unwanted apps.
Examples of ads that adware-type apps display are coupons, banners, surveys, pop-ups, and so on. Browser hijackers change browser settings and promote fake search engines. They collect various information such as IP addresses, geolocations, URLs of visited websites, entered search queries, and so on.
Some examples of browser hijackers are optimalsearch.me, searchmarquis.com, Epsilon, and searchmine.net. To prevent installation of unwanted apps caused by fake Flash Player updaters, ignore the "Flash Player Might Be Out Of Date" scam and any others.
If you have installed Flash Player through this or other similar pop-up windows, scan your Mac with a legitimate anti-malware program such as Combo Cleaner.
If a browser has opened this scam, a PUA is likely to be installed on it (or the operating system). PUAs usually operate as adware or information tracking tools. They collect data such as IP addresses, URLs of opened websites, geolocations, entered search queries and other data relating to browsing activities.
In some cases, they target sensitive, personal details. Developers share the information with other parties (potentially, cyber criminals) who misuse it to generate revenue. To avoid problems with browsing safety, online privacy (and other issues), uninstall all PUAs immediately.
| Name | Mac OS X Can Become Slow POP-UP Scam |
| Threat Type | Mac malware, Mac virus |
| Fake Claim | According to this scam, the user's Flash Player might be out-of-date, might not work, and reduce computer performance. |
| Related Domains |
hajoopteg[.]com, yourultimatesafevideoplayer[.]info |
| Serving IP Address (hajoopteg[.]com) | 188.42.224.12 |
| Detection Names (hajoopteg[.]com) | Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
| Symptoms | Your Mac becomes slower than normal, you see unwanted pop-up ads, you are redirected to dubious websites. |
| Distribution methods | Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake flash player installers, torrent file downloads. |
| Damage | Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious websites, loss of private information. |
| Malware Removal (Mac) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your Mac with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. |
The Internet is full of scam websites. Some more examples are "We Detected Unwanted Pop-Ups On Your Mac", "Your Mac Is Infected With 4 Viruses", and "Apple Support Alert".
Typically, these web pages trick people into downloading and installing unwanted software, or the encourage them to contact scammers (who then try to trick them into paying for unwanted software or unnecessary services). Do not trust these PUAs or associated websites.
How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?
PUAs are usually are downloaded and installed through untrustworthy, deceptive intrusive ads, or when software developers use a deceptive marketing method called "bundling". They use this method to trick people into unwanted download and installation of PUAs through set-ups of other programs.
They include PUAs in set-ups and hide related information in settings such as "Custom", "Advanced", etc. Unintentional downloads and installations often occur when users do not check these settings and leave them unchanged. Leaving these default settings usually agrees to download or installation of chosen software with PUAs.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?
Download software from official/trustworthy sources and avoid using third party downloaders, installers, Peer-to-Peer networks such as eMule, torrent clients and other such tools. Do not skip steps of any download or installation setup. Check all "Custom"/"Advanced" settings.
Do not click intrusive ads, especially on dubious pages. When clicked, these ads open potentially malicious pages or lead to unwanted downloads/installations. If you experience unwanted redirects and intrusive ads, uninstall all unwanted apps (extensions, plug-ins, and add-ons) from the browser and suspicious programs from the operating system.
If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.
Appearance of "Flash Player Might Be Out Of Date" scam (GIF):
Text presented in this scam:
Latest version of Flash Player is recommended to encode and/or decode (Play) audio files in high quality. - Click here to update for latest version.
RECOMMENDED ◊
Flash Player Update
Install latest version of Flash Player for better performance.
Download
Software update
Flash Player
Recommended Update
Update now
"Flash Player" is an essential plugin for your browser that allows you to view everything from video to games and animation on the web. The version of "Flash Player" on your system might not include the latest security updates and might be blocked.To continue using "Flash Player", it is recommended to download an updated version.
Update Download Flash Player ...
Software update"Flash Player" might be out-of-date
The version of this plug-in on your computer might not include the latest security updates. Flash Player might not work until you download an update... Update Download Flash Player ...
Go to the "Downloads"
Open your downloads list by clicking on the top right corner the "arrow".Open the file
Locate and double-click the file starting with "Flash Player".Run the application
Confirm the installation by clicking Continue and Install buttons.
Type your password.
Screenshot of another pop-up displayed by this scam:
Another variant of "Flash Player Might Be Out Of Date" pop-up scam:
Text presented within this page:
Initial page:
Latest version of Flash Player might be required to encode and/or decode (Play) audio files in high quality. -
Click here to update for latest version.Software update
Flash Player might be out of date
Flash player might not work until you download an updated version.
Download Flash... Update
Second page:
1 Go to the ‘Downloads’ Open your downloads list by
clicking on the top right corner
the ‘arrow’.
2 Open the file Locate and double-click the file
starting with ‘Flash Player’.
3 Run the application Confirm the installation by clicking
Continue and Install
buttons. Type your password.
Screenshot of a deceptive installer promoted via this page:
Yet another variant of "Flash Player Might Be Out Of Date" pop-up scam:
Instant automatic Mac malware removal:
Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of Mac malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner for Mac
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Quick menu:
- What is Mac OS X Can Become Slow POP-UP Scam?
- How to identify a pop-up scam?
- How do pop-up scams work?
- How to remove fake pop-ups?
- How to prevent fake pop-ups?
- What to do if you fell for a pop-up scam?
How to identify a pop-up scam?
Pop-up windows with various fake messages are a common type of lures cybercriminals use. They collect sensitive personal data, trick Internet users into calling fake tech support numbers, subscribe to useless online services, invest in shady cryptocurrency schemes, etc.
While in the majority of cases these pop-ups don't infect users' devices with malware, they can cause direct monetary loss or could result in identity theft.
Cybercriminals strive to create their rogue pop-up windows to look trustworthy, however, scams typically have the following characteristics:
- Spelling mistakes and non-professional images - Closely inspect the information displayed in a pop-up. Spelling mistakes and unprofessional images could be a sign of a scam.
- Sense of urgency - Countdown timer with a couple of minutes on it, asking you to enter your personal information or subscribe to some online service.
- Statements that you won something - If you haven't participated in a lottery, online competition, etc., and you see a pop-up window stating that you won.
- Computer or mobile device scan - A pop-up window that scans your device and informs of detected issues - is undoubtedly a scam; webpages cannot perform such actions.
- Exclusivity - Pop-up windows stating that only you are given secret access to a financial scheme that can quickly make you rich.
Example of a pop-up scam:
How do pop-up scams work?
Cybercriminals and deceptive marketers usually use various advertising networks, search engine poisoning techniques, and shady websites to generate traffic to their pop-ups. Users land on their online lures after clicking on fake download buttons, using a torrent website, or simply clicking on an Internet search engine result.
Based on users' location and device information, they are presented with a scam pop-up. Lures presented in such pop-ups range from get-rich-quick schemes to fake virus scans.
How to remove fake pop-ups?
In most cases, pop-up scams do not infect users' devices with malware. If you encountered a scam pop-up, simply closing it should be enough. In some cases scam, pop-ups may be hard to close; in such cases - close your Internet browser and restart it.
In extremely rare cases, you might need to reset your Internet browser. For this, use our instructions explaining how to reset Internet browser settings.
How to prevent fake pop-ups?
To prevent seeing pop-up scams, you should visit only reputable websites. Torrent, Crack, free online movie streaming, YouTube video download, and other websites of similar reputation commonly redirect Internet users to pop-up scams.
To minimize the risk of encountering pop-up scams, you should keep your Internet browsers up-to-date and use reputable anti-malware application. For this purpose, we recommend Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS.
What to do if you fell for a pop-up scam?
This depends on the type of scam that you fell for. Most commonly, pop-up scams try to trick users into sending money, giving away personal information, or giving access to one's device.
- If you sent money to scammers: You should contact your financial institution and explain that you were scammed. If informed promptly, there's a chance to get your money back.
- If you gave away your personal information: You should change your passwords and enable two-factor authentication in all online services that you use. Visit Federal Trade Commission to report identity theft and get personalized recovery steps.
- If you let scammers connect to your device: You should scan your computer with reputable anti-malware (we recommend Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS) - cyber criminals could have planted trojans, keyloggers, and other malware, don't use your computer until removing possible threats.
- Help other Internet users: report Internet scams to Federal Trade Commission.
Outstanding!
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