Adobe Flash Player Malicious Updates, Downloads, Upgrades or Installations

Online users, if you are asked to update, download, upgrade, or install the Adobe Flash Player on your computer while browsing the internet, please do not install it from the website that you are browsing. There are malicious websites or advertisements that have been created by cybercriminals to trick online users into downloading and installing malicious computer programs, viruses, spyware and other malware, disguised as the Adobe Flash Player, by falsely claiming that online users current Adobe Flash Player is out of date.

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Adobe Flash Player Malicious Updates, Downloads, Upgrades or Installations

Online users, if the Adobe Flash Player web browser plug-in is not installed on your computers, only download it from the following website: http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/. And, if you have downloaded and installed the latest version of the Adobe Flash Player from the legitimate Flash Player website and you are still being asked to install it, the website that you are on is either malicious or there is a malicious advertisement displaying the fake Adobe Flash Player message.

Because most persons are always anxious to watch a video online, they will quickly click on a link and install any software in order to do so. But, doing so is very dangerous because you can download a malicious program, which will spy on you, steal your personal information, credit card information, or online accounts user name and password.

Samples of Malicious Adobe Flash Player Update Message

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

Adobe Flash Player Update

“Adobe Flash Player" is out of date! 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

fake Adobe Flash Player installation or download messages

Please install Flash Player HD to continue

fake Adobe Flash Player installation or download messages

Flash player: Incorrect version

fake Adobe Flash Player installation or download messages

You need to install new version of Adobe

fake Adobe Flash Player installation or download messages

This content requires update your Player. Would you like to intall it now?

fake Adobe Flash Player installation or download messages

A flash Player Update is Required to view this content

All of the messages above are deceptive Flash media player updates, which have been created by cybercriminals to trick online users into downloading and infecting their computers with viruses, spyware and other malware. This is why online users must only download the Adobe Flash Player from this website: http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/.

For information about the dangers of downloading software to watch movies or videos online, please click here.

Check the comment section below for additional information, share what you know, or ask a question about this article by leaving a comment below. And, to quickly find answers to your questions, use our search Search engine.

Note: Some of the information in samples on this website may have been impersonated or spoofed.

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Comments, Questions, Answers, or Reviews

Comments (Total: 9)

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May 11, 2017 at 4:52 AM by
Adobe Flash Player Malicious Updates, Downloads, Upgrades or Installations
an anonymous user from: Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India

To continue playing candy crush saga I have been asked to upgrade adobe flash player is it necessary.

Delete

May 11, 2017 at 5:59 AM by
Adobe Flash Player Malicious Updates, Downloads, Upgrades or Installations
info

No. It is a trick to get you to install malware on your device or computer.

Delete

February 17, 2017 at 8:07 PM by
Adobe Flash Player Malicious Updates, Downloads, Upgrades or Installations
Inspireme247 from: Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Thank you for all your brilliant articles on keeping us all safe. I really appreciate it and I'm sure everyone else does as well.

Take care.

Delete

June 25, 2014 at 2:30 PM by
Adobe Flash Player Malicious Updates, Downloads, Upgrades or Installations
an anonymous user from: Bartlesville, Oklahoma, United States

How do I keep it from coming up? It keeps doing it, and I don't know how to stop it. Thank you.

Delete

June 25, 2014 at 3:15 PM by
Adobe Flash Player Malicious Updates, Downloads, Upgrades or Installations
info

These links will pop-up based on the website that you visit. And, the only the way to stop the pop-ups, is to stop visiting those websites. These links will show up as popup advertisements that the website you are visiting use to generate revenue.

But, if you think the pop-ups are not caused by some of the websites that you visit, <a href="/article/2013/1/13/adwcleaner-delete-adware-toolbars-potentially-unwanted-programs-browser-hijackers/">please click here</a>, to use an application to clean your computer.

Delete

March 3, 2014 at 10:38 PM by
Adobe Flash Player Malicious Updates, Downloads, Upgrades or Installations
an anonymous user from: Santo Domingo, Nacional, Dominican Republic

That is true! I'm struggling to install adobe flash player and doing so I just run into this three websites. I finished installing, NOTHING AFTER AN HOUR OR SO.

Delete

July 18, 2013 at 10:40 AM by
Adobe Flash Player Malicious Updates, Downloads, Upgrades or Installations
info

Adobe Flash Player, Reader and Java have an automatic update feature that will update the same software with your permission, if there is an update, after your computer boots. This is legitimate.<br/><br/>If a message pops up on your computer after it boots, asking you to do some form of update, more that likely it is legitimate. I say this because, if the program that displayed the message was malicious, it would have not prompted or asked your permission to download anything that it needed.<br/><br/>Instead, it would have silently downloaded and installed what it needed.<br/><br/>It is strongly recommended that you download updates and other software from the software makers' website only. This is because it is hard to trust files uploaded to other websites.<br/><br/>But, to be on the safe side, do a full scan of your computer with the anti-virus software installed on your computer.<br/><br/>Or, you can use Bit Defender's Free online scanner to scan your computer. <a href="http://quickscan.bitdefender.com/" target="_blank">Click here to scan your computer with Bit Defender</a><br/><br/>You may also use the following programs to clean your browser of Potentially Unwanted Programs:<br/><br/><a href="/article/2013/6/1/avast-browser-cleanup-delete-adware-toolbars-potentially-unwanted-programs-and-browser-hijackers/" target="_blank">Avast Browser Cleanup</a><br/><br/><a href="/article/2013/1/13/adwcleaner-delete-adware-toolbars-potentially-unwanted-programs-browser-hijackers/" target="_blank">AdwCleaner</a>

Delete

March 2, 2014 at 5:38 PM by
Adobe Flash Player Malicious Updates, Downloads, Upgrades or Installations
an anonymous user from: South Lake Tahoe, California, United States

I knew in what you were going to say and, but when there are videos on FB a person would like to see, how do we stop these from being posted or how to get around them to see the videos. I don't think the people on line know this is happening, how do we stop it.

Delete

July 18, 2013 at 9:27 AM by
Adobe Flash Player Malicious Updates, Downloads, Upgrades or Installations
an anonymous user from: Vancouver, Washington, United States

Your article is very helpful in pointing to the danger of fraudulent "You need to update Flash" messages with links that pop up when browsing the web.<br/><br/>What about similar messages that appear when first booting up the computer, before logging on to a browser? I unthinkingly clicked on such a message (it looked about like one of the examples above), and I am quite sure it was the source of subsquent malware problems that hijacked my search engine and necessitated a scrubbing and reinstallation of everything on my hard drive. <br/><br/>Not until later did I realize that the pop-up message never mentioned Adobe, just "your Flash Player." That should have been a tip-off. <br/><br/>Here is my question: Is there anything to prevent one of these phishing Flash scams from perfectly mimicking a legitimate "Update Abodbe Flash Player" messages that appears when I first boot up? Is it safe to respond to any such appear-on-bootup messages, whether related to Adobe Flash, Adobe Reader, or Java updates? <br/><br/>Is it only safe to go to the company producer's website and initiate the download from there?

Delete

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Online Threat Alerts Security Tips

Pay the safest way

Credit cards are the safest way to pay for online purchases because you can dispute the charges if you never get the goods or services or if the offer was misrepresented. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if someone makes unauthorized charges to your account, and most credit card issuers will remove them completely if you report the problem promptly.

Guard your personal information

In any transaction you conduct, make sure to check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if the seller, charity, company, or organization is credible. Be especially wary if the entity is unfamiliar to you. Always call the number found on a website’s contact information to make sure the number legitimately belongs to the entity you are dealing with.

Be careful of the information you share

Never give out your codes, passwords or personal information, unless you are sure of who you're dealing with

Know who you’re dealing with

Crooks pretending to be from companies you do business with may call or send an email, claiming they need to verify your personal information. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something and know who you are sending payment to. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.

Check your accounts

Regularly check your account transactions and report any suspicious or unauthorised transactions.

Don’t believe promises of easy money

If someone claims that you can earn money with little or no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make money on an investment with little or no risk, it’s probably a scam. Oftentimes, offers that seem too good to be true, actually are too good to be true.

Do not open email from people you don’t know

If you are unsure whether an email you received is legitimate, try contacting the sender directly via other means. Do not click on any links in an email unless you are sure it is safe.

Think before you click

If an email or text message looks suspicious, don’t open any attachments or click on the links.

Verify urgent requests or unsolicited emails, messages or phone calls before you respond

If you receive a message or a phone call asking for immediate action and don't know the sender, it could be a phishing message.

Be careful with links and new website addresses

Malicious website addresses may appear almost identical to legitimate sites. Scammers often use a slight variation in spelling or logo to lure you. Malicious links can also come from friends whose email has unknowingly been compromised, so be careful.

Secure your personal information

Before providing any personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, and passwords, be sure the website is secure.

Stay informed on the latest cyber threats

Keep yourself up to date on current scams by visiting this website daily.

Use Strong Passwords

Strong passwords are critical to online security.

Keep your software up to date and maintain preventative software programs

Keep all of your software applications up to date on your computers and mobile devices. Install software that provides antivirus, firewall, and email filter services.

Update the operating systems on your electronic devices

Make sure your operating systems (OSs) and applications are up to date on all of your electronic devices. Older and unpatched versions of OSs and software are the target of many hacks. Read the CISA security tip on Understanding Patches and Software Updates for more information.

What if You Got Scammed?

Stop Contact With The Scammer

Hang up the phone. Do not reply to emails, messages, or letters that the scammer sends. Do not make any more payments to the scammer. Beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.

Secure Your Finances

  • Report potentially compromised bank account, credit or debit card information to your financial institution(s) immediately. They may be able to cancel or reverse fraudulent transactions.
  • Notify the three major credit bureaus. They can add a fraud alert to warn potential credit grantors that you may be a victim of identity theft. You may also want to consider placing a free security freeze on your credit report. Doing so prevents lenders and others from accessing your credit report entirely, which will prevent them from extending credit:

Check Your Computer

If your computer was accessed or otherwise affected by a scam, check to make sure that your anti-virus is up-to-date and running and that your system is free of malware and keylogging software. You may also need to seek the help of a computer repair company. Consider utilizing the Better Business Bureau’s website to find a reputable company.

Change Your Account Passwords

Update your bank, credit card, social media, and email account passwords to try to limit further unauthorized access. Make sure to choose strong passwords when changing account passwords.

Report The Scam

Reporting helps protect others. While agencies can’t always track down perpetrators of crimes against scammers, they can utilize the information gathered to record patterns of abuse which may lead to action being taken against a company or industry.

Report your issue to the following agencies based on the nature of the scam:

  • Local Law Enforcement: Consumers are encouraged to report scams to their local police department or sheriff’s office, especially if you lost money or property or had your identity compromised.
  • Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or use the Online Complaint Assistant to report various types of fraud, including counterfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more.
  • Identitytheft.gov: If someone is using your personal information, like your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, to open new accounts, make purchases, or get a tax refund, report it at www.identitytheft.gov. This federal government site will also help you create your Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan based on your situation. Questions can be directed to 877-ID THEFT.

How To Recognize a Phishing Scam

Scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could get access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful.

Scammers often update their tactics to keep up with the latest news or trends, but here are some common tactics used in phishing emails or text messages:

Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. You might get an unexpected email or text message that looks like it’s from a company you know or trust, like a bank or a credit card or utility company. Or maybe it’s from an online payment website or app. The message could be from a scammer, who might

  • say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts — they haven’t
  • claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information — there isn’t
  • say you need to confirm some personal or financial information — you don’t
  • include an invoice you don’t recognize — it’s fake
  • want you to click on a link to make a payment — but the link has malware
  • say you’re eligible to register for a government refund — it’s a scam
  • offer a coupon for free stuff — it’s not real

About Online Threat Alerts (OTA)

Online Threat Alerts or OTA is an anti-cybercrime community that started in 2012. OTA alerts the public to cyber crimes and other web threats.

By alerting the public, we have prevented a lot of online users from getting scammed or becoming victims of cybercrimes.

With the ever-increasing number of people going online, it important to have a community like OTA that continuously alerts or protects those same people from cyber-criminals, scammers and hackers, who are every day finding new ways of carrying out their malicious activities.

Online users can help by reporting suspicious or malicious messages or websites to OTA. And, if they want to determine if a message or website is a threat or scam, they can use OTA's search engine to search for the website or parts of the message for information.

Help maintain Online Threat Alerts (OTA).

Adobe Flash Player Malicious Updates, Downloads, Upgrades or Installations