Google Ad Leads To Tech Support Scam
Posted by: Timothy Weaver on 06/03/2017 10:07 AM
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If you use Google to do a search on Target, the ads displayed on the page could lead you to a tech support scam.
Somehow, the malicious ads have been displayed right at the top of the search results which is a highly sought after position of all of Google's ad units.
If the users clicks on the ad, expecting to be directed to Target, they instead will be directed to a site that mimics the style of Microsoft's real website which urges users to call a phone number to remove a non-existent "HARDDISK_ROOTKIT_TROJAN_HUACK.EXE" file.
VirusTotal reported that the scam is registered to a Georgian man and was hosted on two IP addresses and is linked to tech support scams, malware hosting, and pharma spam.
As of this writing, Google has removed the ads and the tech site is no longer active.
Similar scams have been directed at Walmart and Amazon. Neither Google nor Target responded to a request for comment.
Source: Bleeping Computer
Somehow, the malicious ads have been displayed right at the top of the search results which is a highly sought after position of all of Google's ad units.If the users clicks on the ad, expecting to be directed to Target, they instead will be directed to a site that mimics the style of Microsoft's real website which urges users to call a phone number to remove a non-existent "HARDDISK_ROOTKIT_TROJAN_HUACK.EXE" file.
VirusTotal reported that the scam is registered to a Georgian man and was hosted on two IP addresses and is linked to tech support scams, malware hosting, and pharma spam.
As of this writing, Google has removed the ads and the tech site is no longer active.
Similar scams have been directed at Walmart and Amazon. Neither Google nor Target responded to a request for comment.
Source: Bleeping Computer
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