In a new public notice, the FBI wants you to block ads. Rogue ads, including pop-ups, spinning banners, and malicious redirects, have long been a problem on the internet. These types of ads can be annoying and potentially harmful to users. The FBI has issued a warning about fake ads that impersonate real ones and redirect victims to unknown sites.
Diving into details
- These ads may be labeled as "Sponsored" or "Ad" depending on the search engine.
- These fake ads may contain malware or other harmful content and are paid for by criminals who mimic authentic brands by using similar domain names and linking to fake web pages that closely resemble the official pages of the impersonated business.
- Such rogue ads have also been used to impersonate websites involved in finances, particularly cryptocurrency exchange platforms.
- These malicious sites appear as legitimate exchange platforms and ask users to enter login credentials and financial information.
More rogue ads
- A malvertising campaign known as MasquerAds, attributed to the threat actor Vermux, was found using Google Ads to target users searching for popular software. Some software included Slack, MSI Afterburner, Malwarebytes, Grammarly, and Audacity.
- In another campaign, IcedID botnet operators were found conducting SEO poisoning to trick search engine users into visiting sites that lead to downloading malware. The attackers hijacked keywords used by Adobe, Thunderbird, AnyDesk, Brave Browser, Discord, the IRS, and others.
The bottom line
The problem of rogue ads cluttering up sponsored search results is ongoing. Criminals continue to use these tactics because they are effective at getting results. It is crucial for users to be cautious and verify the legitimacy of ads and sites before entering personal information.
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