Do not trust the fineplaceupgradefree.info scam website

What is fineplaceupgradefree[.]info?

fineplaceupgradefree[.]info displays pop-up notifications encouraging visitors to update Adobe Flash Player. In fact, it downloads an adware installer called iWebPlayer. In this way, fineplaceupgradefree[.]info tricks people into downloading and installing a potentially unwanted application (PUA), rather than any update for Adobe Flash Player.

This could be used to distribute other PUAs (e.g., browser hijackers) as well. If a browser opens this web page (or other similar sites) automatically, it is very likely that a PUA is already installed on the browser and/or operating system.

fineplaceupgradefree[.]info displays pop-up windows stating that Adobe Flash Player is outdated and does not include the latest security updates. Whoever designed this website seeks to trick visitors into believing that they will not be able to view videos, animation or play games on the web unless they download and install updates from it.

As mentioned, this website actually downloads an installer of adware called iWebPlayer. Adware feeds users with various advertisements (e.g., coupons, banners, surveys, pop-ups, and so on). Typically, if clicked, these open untrustworthy websites.

In some cases, they might be designed to execute scripts that download or even install other unwanted, potentially malicious software.

Websites such as fineplaceupgradefree[.]info (sites that download fake installers/updaters of Adobe Flash Player or other software) are often used to promote other PUAs including browser hijackers or even malicious programs such as ransomware, trojans, and so on.

These web pages should never be trusted, since installation of software downloaded from them can lead to serious problems such as monetary and/or data loss, identity theft, issues relating to browsing safety, privacy, and so on.

Threat Summary:

Name	fineplaceupgradefree.info pop-up
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Mac malware, Mac virus.
Fake Claim	This page claims that Adobe Flash Player is out of date.
Detection Names (AdobeFlashPlayerInstaller.dmg)	Avast (Other:Malware-gen [Trj]), BitDefender (Adware.MAC.Bundlore.DPS), Emsisoft (Adware.MAC.Bundlore.DPS (B)), Kaspersky (HEUR:Trojan-Downloader.OSX.Shlayer.a), Full List (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	18.188.14.25
Promoted Unwanted Application	iWebPlayer
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.

More examples of sites designed to trick people into installing unwanted software through the setups of fake Adobe Flash installers/updaters are startmostoriginalprogram[.]icu, theultimatesafevideoplayer[.]info and mainsourceofupgrade[.]best. No software should be installed or updated through unofficial websites.

All installed apps downloaded from these web pages should be uninstalled as soon as possible.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

PUAs are often dowloaded/installed when people click intrusive, deceptive ads that should not be trusted, or they download/install software without dismissing offers to download/install additional, unwanted apps included in the set-ups.

Developers often include unwanted apps into the download or installation set-ups, and hide related information in settings such as "Custom", "Advanced", etc. When people download and installation software without checking and changing these settings, they often allow additional unwanted apps to be downloaded and installed.

This distribution method of potentially unwanted software is called "bundling".

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Do not finish any download or installation without checking "Custom", "Advanced and other similar settings, and dismissing offers to download/install additionally-included, unwanted apps. Download software only from official websites and via direct download links.

It is not safe to use third party software downloaders, installers, Peer-to-Peer networks (e.g., torrent clients, eMule) or other sources to download or install software. Furthermore, ads that appear on dubious web pages (sometimes even on legitimate sites) can cause redirects to rogue websites, or they download/install unwanted apps.

If a browser causes redirects and/or displays ads, it is possible that this happens due to installed PUAs. We recommend that you remove all unwanted, unknown or suspicious extensions, add-ons and plug-ins from web browsers immediately, and apply this to programs of this kind that are installed on 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.

Text in the initial pop-up window:

Update to the latest version of Flash Player. Your current Adobe Flash Player version is out of date.

Screenshot of pop-up windows that appear after closing initial pop-up window:

Text in these pop-ups:

Latest version of Flash Player is required to encode and/or decode (Play) audio files in high quality. - Click here to update for latest version.

Software update
Adobe Flash Player
Install the latest update
Update now
 
"Adobe 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 “Adobe Flash Player" on your system does not include the latest security updates and has been blocked.

To continue using “Adobe Flash Player", download an updated version.

Download Flash... Update

Flash Player Update  REQUIRED
Install latest version of Adobe Flash Player in order to continue watching.
Download

Screenshot of another pop-up that appears after previously shown pop-ups:

Text in this pop-up:

Software update

“Adobe Flash Player” is out-of-date

The version of this plug-in on your computer doesn't include the latest security updates. Flash cannot be used until you download an update from Adobe.

Update Download Flash...

Screenshot of pop-up with instructions about how to download and install fake updates:

Text in this pop-up:

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.

Appearance of fineplaceupgradefree[.]info scam page (GIF):

Screenshot of setup of fake Adobe Flash installer/updater:

Screenshot of iWebPlayer installer:

Screenshot of iWebPlayer:

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▼ 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 fineplaceupgradefree.info 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.

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