The FBI has issued a warning about malicious attackers that are utilizing search engine search paid ads to spread malware, such as ransomware or websites that steal banking and cryptocurrency credentials.
FBI Warns About Search Ads
Federal law enforcement warned the public that hackers are buying ads that pose as reputable companies. These advertising dominate search engine results and lead to cloned versions of legitimate businesses’ domain names.
According to the FBI, ads for software will lead you to sites where you can download a copy of the fake app and then get hacked, so try to stay away by not clicking on these links.
“When a user searches for that business or service, these advertisements appear at the very top of search results with minimum distinction between an advertisement and an actual search result. These advertisements link to a webpage that looks identical to the impersonated business’s official webpage.”.
