Malicious Google ads lock Macs and PCs, push callers to fake support lines
A tech-support scam hid in Google ads on popular sites, freezing devices and steering victims toward payment and data theft.
Researchers found Google ads distributing a tech-support scam that locked Windows and Mac screens and directed viewers to fake support lines. The ads appeared on legitimate, popular websites covering maps, weather, real estate, document hosting and sports; people who called were pressured to pay, permit remote access or disclose personal information. Between August 31 and September 14, Netskope recorded clicks from users at 619 customer organizations, but blocked the content before those users were scammed. About 62 percent of the organizations were in the US, followed by Japan and Australia; Netskope said its limited view of internet activity means the actual number of people exposed, including victims, is likely higher. The firm identified more than 250 Google Ads campaign IDs on at least 284 legitimate publisher sites.
Why it matters
Because the scam ads ran on mainstream sites and affected both Windows and Mac devices, a routine search or click could suddenly lock a screen and push someone into a high-pressure call demanding money or access. Netskope’s logs show hundreds of organizations brushing up against the scheme, mostly in the US but also in Japan and Australia, and the large number of ad campaigns and publishers suggests many more people likely saw the lure than the security firm could observe.
Signal or noise?
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Sources
- Ars Technica