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Tech

The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

The law enforcement agency warns that scam ads designed to steal your
banking details are appearing atop search results

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<p>Cybercriminals are behind ads that are made to look like messages
from real brands and businesses, the US security agency the FBI (an
agent of which is pictured) says </p>

Cybercriminals are behind ads that are made to look like messages
from real brands and businesses, the US security agency the FBI (an
agent of which is pictured) says

/ FBI
By
Saqib Shah
22 December 2022
T

he Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the US is advising people
to use ad blockers as part of a warning about the threat of scams
online.

In a public service announcement, the security agency's internet
complaints department says ad-blocking extensions can help to protect
users against fraudulent online adverts that appear in search
results. Cybercriminals are behind such ads that are made to look
like messages from real brands and businesses, it says.

The dupes, which can sometimes appear at the top of a search results
page, contain links to fake websites or malicious software downloads
that try to pinch your login details or financial information.

By endorsing ad blockers, which scrub or hide content identified as
ads from websites, the FBI is effectively giving the thumbs-up to a
divisive tool that many internet publishers (including news sites)
actively discourage visitors from using.

As such, its warning illustrates just how perilous the internet
advertising environment has become. Online ad sellers such as Google
and Microsoft are locked in a ceaseless duel with cybercriminals, who
try to create thousands of accounts to bypass their security systems
when purchasing ads.

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Despite constantly scouring their services for scams using ad
verification and certification policies, it seems that some fakes are
still seeping through their nets.

In July, researchers from Malwarebytes found that bad actors were
creating fake search ads that mimicked websites including YouTube,
Amazon and Facebook. Earlier in the year, Google removed ads that
impersonated the customer support accounts of internet providers
including BT and Sky.

More broadly, there have been many scams in the UK since the start of
the Covid-19 pandemic. These include phishing messages sent via email
and SMS; cryptocurrency scams that falsely claim to be endorsed by
celebrities; fraudulent calls from overseas; and fake offers around
major shopping events such as Black Friday.

US security agencies are practising what they preach: the National
Security Agency (NSA), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), FBI and
others in the US intelligence community are already reportedly using
network-based ad-blocking technologies, according to a copy of a
letter sent by Congress and shared with tech news site Motherboard.

The FBI's other tips for staying safe online echo the advice offered
by Trading Standards in the UK. These include checking the
authenticity of an ad by making sure the URL it contains is free from
typos and other errors, and searching for businesses and financial
institutions by typing in their full website address.

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