When you Google something, how do you tell which website you should look at first? If you’re like most people, whether you’re shopping for a specific item or searching for some other service, you probably click on the first link that pops up on your results page. After all, if it’s at the top, it must be the best, right?
Not necessarily. That first Google result doesn’t always mean it’s the best anymore—it might simply mean the company paid Google to get priority billing on the search engine. Now, scammers are infiltrating Google’s sponsored-advertising system to trick buyers, and if you’re not careful, your next online shopping trip could turn into a digital disaster.
Read on to find out the big dangers that could be hiding in those little search results—and how to avoid falling for this new scam the next time you’re online.
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What is the new Google scam you need to watch out for?
Scammers are buying sponsored ads to put fraudulent websites at the top of Google searches, and they look completely legit at first glance. Some may even appear to come from companies you’d normally trust—department stores, luxury brands and travel services, to name a few. While some of these sites sell counterfeit products, others are phishing scams, which trick you into giving away your personal information. The scammer then uses that information to charge your credit card, hack your accounts or even steal your identity.
One TikTok user fell for this scam when clicking on a sponsored link from “American Airlines” when she needed a last-minute flight change. She clicked on the ad, which connected to a website that looked real, and even called the number to rebook her flight with an agent. It all seemed “completely normal,” but as it turned out, the site was fake, the agent was a scammer and he now had her credit card information and assorted personal details.
Although Google is the most obvious place that these fake ads appear, they also show up on other search engines like Bing and social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram.
Of course, not all sponsored ad links are fake. The scam wouldn’t work if only hackers used them. But a fake ad doesn’t look much different from a real one, making it a reliable way to stick phishing scams in front of unsuspecting users.
What can happen if you click on one of these fake ads?
Visiting a scammy site likely won’t harm you—the trouble starts when you give the fake site your money and personal information.
Let’s start with the money. “If you’re dealing with a site that sells counterfeit goods, they will accept just plain credit cards,” says Damon McCoy, PhD, an NYU professor and the co-director of NYU’s Center for Cybersecurity. “But if they’re perpetrating an outright scam, they’ll ask to do an e-check, sometimes a money wire or something like Zelle or CashApp.” In other words, they’ll encourage transactions that are harder to track and refund, often with cash. Some sites will claim that using these riskier payment methods will earn you a bigger discount.
During checkout, the site might ask for personal information like your address, phone number, account passwords or Social Security number. Scammers can then sell this information to insurance companies or telemarketers—or, says McCoy, “file fraudulent tax returns on your behalf” and engage in other forms of identity theft.
In other cases, the site will display a pop-up claiming that your device is infected with a virus, and to get rid of it, you’ll need to either call someone on their team or download a program. Here, the scammer is trying to manipulate you into paying for malware disguised as a fake anti-virus program or into giving them remote access to your computer.
How prevalent is this scam?
It’s hard to tell how common these sorts of scams are, and many are caught by companies before they make their way to the public. According to a recent report from Google’s Ads Privacy and Safety team, in 2025 Google “blocked or removed … 602 million ads and 4 million accounts associated with scams.” The company is also requiring more businesses to verify their identity before running ads. Meanwhile, Meta claims that in 2025 it “removed over 159 million scam ads” and “took down 10.9 million accounts … associated with criminal scam centers.”
However, with that kind of bombardment, a significant number still slip under the radar. How many? Brace yourself for this sobering stat: In 2025, Reuters uncovered evidence that Meta makes a significant amount of its yearly revenue from scam ads—we’re talking 10% of its 2024 revenue, which works out to a whopping $16 billion. So, yes, a large number of scam ads are still getting through!
How can you tell if a sponsored site is a scam?
It’s not always obvious that you’re browsing a scam site. But there are a few red flags you should be on the lookout for.
- A sense of urgency: Nearly every scam uses this tactic, according to McCoy. The site might say that a once-in-a-lifetime deal will expire in 5 minutes; another might tell you that if you don’t download its anti-virus right away, you’ll lose all your data. In both cases, the site is trying to scare you into acting without thinking. A normal store won’t threaten you like this.
- Unusual payment methods: Legitimate brands generally won’t ask you to pay via cash, CashApp or Zelle. If you can’t pay via credit card, you should be suspicious.
- Typos: Look at the site’s branding, text and URL for typos. If you think you’re shopping at Nordstrom but the URL reads “n0rdstrom.com,” you’re in the wrong place.
- Unbelievable deals: If a deal seems too good to be true, it usually is. Websites that claim they sell products for massive discounts, especially luxury products, are probably hiding something.
Should you avoid these sponsored links altogether?
Generally, yes. If you’re shopping on Google, avoid links marked as “sponsored” and scroll down instead to the actual results. If it’s a popular enough brand, chances are they’ll be the first real result anyway. And if you’re using a computer, you can also remove sponsored ads entirely by installing a plugin like uBlock Origin.
What should you do if you’ve fallen for one of these scams?
If you believe you’ve already fallen victim to a scam, take these steps immediately:
- Contact your bank or credit card company ASAP. If you catch the fake charge within three months, there’s a good chance that your bank will reimburse it, especially if you tell them the details of how you were scammed. Fake debit card charges are harder to contest, but you should still contact your bank ASAP. And, of course, cancel your compromised card and get a new one.
- Temporarily freeze your credit. This way, fake charges won’t impact your credit score. McCoy says that once a scammer tries charging you for something and the transaction fails, they’re unlikely to try it again.
- If you’ve shared your social security number, contact the IRS. You can ask the IRS for a PIN code that will prevent anyone from filing tax returns on your behalf.
- Change your passwords. This is essential if the scammer has accessed your online accounts. In the future, consider using a password manager that will let you create and save long, complex passwords that are harder to crack.
- Report fake sponsored ads. Here’s a handy list of links where you can do that for each platform:
- Bing
- Meta
- You should also report them to law enforcement officials like the Internet Crime Complaint Center and Federal Trade Commission, but don’t expect to receive a personal response.
Unfortunately, if you paid in cash using Zelle, CashApp or a money order, there’s not much you can do. Law enforcement agencies, even going as high up as the FBI, rarely pursue individual scammers. Instead, they advise consumers to be careful online—which you can absolutely do in the future. The key is to stay alert, calm … and skeptical.
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Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of articles on personal technology, arming readers with the knowledge to protect themselves against cybersecurity threats and internet scams as well as revealing the best tips, tricks and shortcuts for computers, cellphones, apps, texting, social media and more. For this piece, William Antonelli tapped her experience as a longtime tech writer to ensure that all information is accurate and offers the best possible advice to readers. We rely on credentialed experts with personal experience and know-how as well as primary sources including tech companies, professional organizations and academic institutions. We verify all facts and data and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Damon McCoy, professor at New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering and co-director of NYU’s Center for Cybersecurity; interviewed, April 2026
- Google: “Gemini is stopping harmful ads before people ever see them”
- Meta: “Fighting Scammers and Protecting People With New Technology and Partnerships”
- Reuters: “Meta is earning a fortune on a deluge of fraudulent ads, documents show”
- Google: “Advertiser verification”
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