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:
- How Social Norms Can Be Exploited by Scammers on Social Media
August 5, 2021
Social media platforms are excellent hunting grounds for scammers. This is where we connect with our friends or people who we have something in common with. This is precisely what scammers exploit—our connections and the trust that is afforded between friends or acquaintances. From an early age, we are taught to be kind and compassionate as ...
- Ransomware attack hits Italy’s Lazio region, affects COVID-19 site
August 4, 2021
The Lazio region in Italy has suffered a reported ransomware attack that has disabled the region’s IT systems, including the COVID-19 vaccination registration portal. Early Sunday morning, the Lazio region suffered a ransomware attack that encrypted every file in its data center and disrupted its IT network. “The attack blocked almost every file in the data center. ...
- DarkSide ransomware gang returns as new BlackMatter operation
July 31, 2021
Encryption algorithms found in a decryptor show that the notorious DarkSide ransomware gang has rebranded as a new BlackMatter ransomware operation and is actively performing attacks on corporate entities. After conducting an attack on Colonial Pipeline, the US’s largest fuel pipeline, and causing fuel shortages in the southeast of the USA, the DarkSide ransomware group faced ...
- Phishing Attacks Often Target Small Businesses – Here’s What to Watch for
July 29, 2021
Scammers target businesses with phishing emails all the time, pretending to be legitimate customers or vendors asking for payment. While any company can be vulnerable to this type of attack, small- to medium-size companies are particularly vulnerable because it is easier for a scammer to do a bit of research online and identify the right ...
- Haron and BlackMatter are the latest groups to crash the ransomware party
July 28, 2021
July has so far ushered in at least two new ransomware groups. Or maybe they’re old ones undergoing a rebranding. Researchers are in the process of running down several different theories. Both groups say they are aiming for big-game targets, meaning corporations or other large businesses with the pockets to pay ransoms in the millions of ...
- Russia, US launch cybersecurity dialogue, three rounds already held
July 28, 2021
Russia and the US have launched bilateral cybersecurity dialogue, with three formal rounds already held, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told reporters on Wednesday. “We are beginning to have a better understanding of security issues in the cyber sphere and its different aspects, starting with the use of the corresponding malware with criminal intent and ...