Avoid installing fake updates promoted by yourfine4upgradefree.best

What is yourfine4upgradefree[.]best?

yourfine4upgradefree[.]best is a deceptive/scam site that operates by claiming that it will update Adobe Flash Player. Instead, it promotes a fake updater.

Fraudulent software updaters are used to proliferate various Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUAs) and malicious content (e.g. ransomware, trojans and other malware). Few visitors open yourfine4upgradefree[.]best intentionally - most are redirected by intrusive advertisements or PUAs already infiltrated into the system.

Visitors to yourfine4upgradefree[.]best first see is a pop-up window. The text presented therein states that Adobe Flash Player is outdated and the website claims that it is currently downloading updates for it. It reassures users that the update installation will only take a number of seconds and will require no reboot.

This window has two buttons ("Update/Download Flash..."), which initiate download of the fake updater. Additionally, this web page has another pop-up in the upper-right corner of the page, which urges visitors to update their Flash Player. After either of these buttons is clicked, yourfine4upgradefree[.]best provides instructions about how to install the bogus updates.

The instructions comprise two steps. Firstly, users are to open the downloads list, and secondly, they must locate and double-click a file entitled "Flash Player". Trusting this scam will not update the Adobe Flash Player, and instead will lead to users inadvertently allowing dubious or possibly malicious content onto their systems.

You are strongly advised against trusting sites making bogus claims about out-of-date software, or about detected threats/issues. Downloading/Installing and/or purchasing products endorsed on such pages can compromise device health and user safety.

As mentioned, PUAs are one of the main causes of redirects to yourfine4upgradefree[.]best (apps of this type can also be installed by fake updaters). Unwanted applications can force-open all manner of sites, such as sale-oriented, untrustworthy, rogue, compromised, deceptive/scam and malicious web pages.

Rogue system cleaner/optimizer PUAs require activation to perform their functions (i.e., they must be purchased to work), however, even after purchase, they remain nonoperational. Another type can run intrusive advertisement campaigns, delivering unwanted and harmful ads that diminish the browsing experience.

Some PUAs modify browsers and limit/deny access to their settings. Regardless of specific capabilities, PUAs often have data tracking capabilities. They can monitor browsing activity (browsing and search engine histories) and collect users' personal information (IP addresses, geolocations and other details).

This private data can then be shared with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals), seeking to generate revenue by misusing it. Therefore, PUAs can cause various browser/system infiltration and infections and lead to financial loss, serious privacy issues and even identity theft.

To ensure device and user safety, you are strongly advised to remove all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins immediately upon detection.

Threat Summary:

Name	yourfine4upgradefree.best pop-up
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Mac malware, Mac virus.
Fake Claim	Site claims that visitors' Adobe Flash Player is outdated.
Detection Names (fake updater)	Avast (Other:Malware-gen [Trj]), BitDefender (Adware.MAC.Bundlore.DPS), ClamAV (Osx.Trojan.SHLayer-6992220-1), Kaspersky (HEUR:Trojan-Downloader.OSX.Shlayer.a), Full List (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	212.83.128.68
Promoted Unwanted Application	Site promotes a fake Flash Player updater.
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. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner for Mac To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited seven days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

preciseeditor.pw, mainsiteofupgradenow.best, and mainsourceofupdate.best are some examples of other scams similar to yourfine4upgradefree[.]best. Claiming that visitors' Flash Players are outdated is just one deceptive tactic. In general, such schemes employ social engineering and scare tactics to encourage users into performing certain actions.

Scam websites can warn users of threats/issues detected on the device, make 'amazing' offers, claim that visitors have won unbelievable fortunes, and so on.

The goal might be to tempt users into downloading/installing and/or purchasing dubious/malicious content, call high-toll fake technical support numbers, pay for fake services rendered, make monetary transactions, reveal personal and banking information, etc. Be wary of these sites and cautious with any downloads and use of personal information.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

Fake updaters are just one mode of PUA proliferation. These apps can be downloaded/installed together with other programs. This deceptive marketing method of pre-packing normal software with unwanted or malicious content is called "bundling".

Rushing download/installation processes (e.g. ignoring terms, skipping steps, etc.) endanger devices with potential system infiltration and infections. Some PUAs have "official" download web pages. When clicked, intrusive ads can execute scripts designed to download/install PUAs without users' permission.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Research all content, prior to downloading it. Use only official and verified download sources. Untrustworthy download sources such as unofficial and free file-hosting websites, P2P sharing networks (BitTorrent, eMule, Gnutella, etc.) and other third party downloaders are more likely to offer deceptive or bundled software.

Products should be updated with tools/functions provided by legitimate developers. Third party updaters are high-risk and should be avoided.

When downloading/installing, read the terms, study all available options, use the "Custom/Advanced" options and opt-out of supplementary apps, tools, functions, etc. Intrusive ads often seem harmless, however, they can cause redirects to dubious pages (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating and so on).

If you encounter these advertisements/redirects, inspect the system and remove all suspect applications and/or browser extensions/plug-ins without delay. If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.

Text presented in the initial pop-up window:

Software update
Your Adobe Flash Payer is out of date
Downloading new updates...
Updating takes a few seconds and no restart is needed after installation.
Update Download Flash...

Text presented in the upper-right corner pop-up:

Adobe Flash player update
Download an updated new
version of "Adobe Flash Player".

Screenshot of second page displayed by yourfine4upgradefree[.]best:

Text presented in this page:

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'.

Appearance of yourfine4upgradefree[.]best scam (GIF):

Screenshot of the fake Flash Player updater installation setup:

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 By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited seven days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

• What is yourfine4upgradefree.best pop-up?
• 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.

▼ Show Discussion