Reliable extensions can prevent the initial redirection to these malicious sites.
Once you click, you rarely get a video file. Instead, you are typically sent through a chain of:
The digital world is full of traps designed to exploit curiosity. When you see a link promising a free download of a specific "Originals" short film, it is almost certainly a gateway to a .
Pages that look like login screens for Google or Facebook, designed to steal your credentials. 3. The Payload
If a "video" file ends in .exe , .zip , or .msi , delete it immediately without opening it.
If you actually manage to download an .mp4 file, it often isn't a video at all.
Here is the "story" of what usually happens behind those links: 1. The Lure
Multiple pop-ups claiming your "system is infected" or your "browser needs an update."