Google anything and you get pages of search results. At the very top are the “Sponsored Results.” These are paid ads businesses often used to drive traffic to their websites. Google doesn’t vet everyone who buys an ad. Cybercrooks can buy ads just like trustworthy companies – except they hide nasty malware on their sites. Scammers are getting good at search engine optimization, so their malicious search results are at the top of the organic results.
The most recent example of this is the new false advertisement for Amazon. This Amazon false advertisement was found on Google search engine when searching for Amazon. At first glance, it appears to be legitimate, using the valid Amazon web URL and information as the first result at the top of the page. The advertisement, however, redirects users to a Microsoft Defender support scam that may eventually lock up their browser, install malware, steal personal information, or worse.
Why is this meaningful?
Most people use Google; and users often click the top results, which are ‘Sponsored’ results. Recently, those who were searching for Amazon were at risk of being a victim by scammers. A similar scam was seen last year through YouTube ads where it displayed a website’s legitimate URL but lead to the scam website.
What do we recommend?
- Avoid clicking on the first “Sponsored” search result for Amazon or other popular services.
- Visit websites by their Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN). For this example: Amazon.com.
Spectrum Wealth Counsel, doing business as Spectrum Wealth Management, LLC, is an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Additional information about Spectrum’s investment advisory services is found in Form ADV Part 2, which is available upon request. The information presented is for educational and illustrative purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, or investment advice. Tax and legal counsel should be engaged before taking any action. The opinions expressed and material provided are for general information and should not be considered a solicitation for purchasing or selling any security.