Address bar shows hp.com. Browser displays scammers’ malicious text anyway.
1 min read
Summary
Scammers have found a way to insert fake telephone numbers into the pages of trusted websites when potential victims search for the contact details of those companies.
The scam works through Google ads, where the perpetrators purchase ad space that appears at the top of search results for popular sites including Microsoft, Apple and Paypal.
When a victim clicks on what they believe to be the official contact number, they are in fact directed to the genuine website, but with a fake phone number inserted adjacent to the search bar, or sometimes above the search results.
So far, the scam has only been reported using Google ads, but it is not known if it is effective on other search engines.
