Scammers hijack websites of popular brands to insert fake phone number


Cybercriminals frequently use fake search engine listings to take advantage of our trust in popular brands, and then scam us. It often starts, as with so many attacks, with a sponsored search result on Google.

In the latest example of this type of scam, we found tech support scammers hijacking the results of people looking for 24/7 support for Apple, Bank of America, Facebook, HP, Microsoft, Netflix, and PayPal. Here’s how it works: Cybercriminals pay for a sponsored ad on Google pretending to be a major brand. Often, this ad leads people to a fake website. However, in the cases we recently found, the visitor is taken to the legitimate site with a small difference.

Read more…
Source: Malwarebytes Labz


Sign up for our Newsletter
The latest news and insights delivered right to your inbox.


Related:

  • New Android malware lets criminals use your bank card in real time

    August 13, 2026

    Researchers at Group-IB have discovered a new NFC relay malware family, purpose-built to capture live card data via NFC and forward it in real time to attackers. They dubbed it “WindRelay.” NFC (Near Field Communication) is wireless technology that allows devices such as smartphones, payment cards, and payment terminals to communicate when they’re very close together. So, ...

  • Armored Likho expands its cyber-espionage toolkit

    August 13, 2026

    In May 2026, Kaspersky researches discovered a new cyber-espionage campaign by the Armored Likho group, also known as Eagle Werewolf, that targets private individuals and organizations across various industries in Russia, including major corporations, the public sector, IT, and education. The attackers used a fake app as bait that mimics a service for donations. However, ...

  • Uber Freight reportedly investigating after hacking group claims data breach

    August 12, 2026

    A hacking and extortion gang has taken credit for a cyberattack and data breach at Uber Freight, the ridesharing giant’s logistics subsidiary. A spokesperson for Uber Freight told Reuters, which first reported the incident, that there was no effect on its business operations and that its systems were running normally. (The company did not immediately respond to ...

  • The CEVA Logistics data breach is having major knock-on effects across Europe – here’s what we know

    August 11, 2026

    CEVA Logistics, one of the biggest shipping and logistics companies in the world, has suffered a major cyberattack, the effects of which are trickling down to many of its clients. The details of the hack itself, however, are not yet publicly available and what little information is out there came from the affected clients themselves. CEVA has ...

  • Fake CCleaner installs GhostDesk Chrome spyware

    August 11, 2026

    A fake version of the popular PC cleaning tool CCleaner is being used to infect Windows users with a malicious Chrome extension called GhostDesk, which acts as spyware inside the browser. With more than 2 billion downloads worldwide, CCleaner is one of the best-known Windows utilities, making it an attractive target for cybercriminals looking to distribute ...

  • Attackers pick Levi’s pockets in social engineering attack

    August 10, 2026

    Levi Strauss is investigating a data breach after attackers used social engineering to access three employees’ work computers. In a regulatory filing, the jeans maker said the intruders accessed and exfiltrated what it described only as “certain corporate information.” Levi’s said it spotted the intrusion, kicked off its incident response procedures, brought in outside cybersecurity experts, and managed ...