"My Private Video," "My First Video," "My Video," and "18+ Video" Malicious Posts

But, there are no videos, and the software plugins or extensions that the fake and malicious YouTube websites ask potential victims to install, are malicious. The malicious software will infect the potential victims’ computers or mobile devices with a virus, Trojan horse, spyware, ransomware, malicious browser extensions, or some other malware that cybercriminals use to gain remote access to, or hijack their victims’ computers, mobile devices, or social media accounts.

Online users should never click on the fake messages or posts, even if they appear to have been sent by trusted friends. This is because cybercriminals are able to send the fake messages or posts from cloned, hacked or hijacked social media accounts, to the friends of the owners of those accounts. This will make the fake messages or posts appear to the recipients as if they were sent from friends. And, this is why not all messages or posts that appear to have been sent by trusted friends are safe, and were actually sent by them.

Now, once cybercriminals are able to take unauthorized control of, or hijack their potential victims' computers or devices, they will steal the victims' online accounts credentials, financial or personal information. They may also use the hijacked computers and devices to commit cybercrimes that will be traced back to the owners.

One popular and malicious web browser extension that is being used by cybercriminals is the “Make a GIF” Google Chrome extension. Cybercriminals or scammers are using the following message to trick online users into installing malicious web browser extension or software:

“Sorry, if you don’t install Video Play plugin, you will not be able to watch the video! Click ‘Add Extension’ to watch the video”.

How to Remove the Malicious “Make a GIF” Google Chrome Extension

• Type or enter: “chrome://extensions/” into Chrome’s address bar
• Click on “More tools”
• Click on “Extensions”
• Click on “Make a GIF”
• Click “Remove from Chrome …”

Online users should never download apps, web browser extensions, or software from websites that they are not familiar with. If in doubt about a website, post, message or software, online users should ask friends, family members, or users on trusted online forums for advice before visiting the website, clicking on the post, following the instructions in the message, or downloading and installing software on their computers or mobile devices.

Online users should know that there are a lot of deceptive messages on both legitimate and fake websites that will tell them that they need to install software plugins, flash players, Adobe player, Java players, video player extensions and other video players to view so-called videos or other media.

Note: deceptive messages on legitimate websites are displayed via malicious online advertisements that the same websites have no control over.

Online users who are using Microsoft Windows and think they are victims of the malicious posts or video scam, should click here to download and install a very popular and powerful free software called AdwCleaner to remove malicious web browser extensions and other malware from their computers. They should also scan their computers with the antivirus or antimalware software that are installed on them.

For users of other operating systems, or mobile devices, it is recommended that they scan their devices and computers with the antivirus or antimalware software that are installed on them.

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