See how this sneaky fake Google ads is trying to scam you right now

Ads can be annoying, but they’re the reason Google doesn’t charge you for searches. Sometimes, they’re even helpful. For example, if you’re searching for a product, an ad might take you straight to its official website. But lately, it’s a good idea to avoid clicking on ads in Google search results. Researchers have found fake ads on the platform that look real at first glance.

This scam is called “malvertising” (a great name for a bad problem). Scammers create fake ads and inject them with malware, hoping people will trust the ad. Everything about the ad might seem real, including the website URL, but when you click it, you end up on a scam site instead of the page you expected. Always double-check before clicking on ads.

Malwarebytes Threat Intelligence recently warned about fake Google ads in a tweet. They ran a simple Google search for “YouTube,” which should have brought up a direct link to the video site (since Google owns it). But instead of showing the regular YouTube link at the top, Google displayed an ad for the site.

At first, the ad looked real. The URL was correct (https://www.youtube.com), so why wouldn’t it take you to YouTube? But when they clicked the link, things went wrong. A pop-up claimed that “Windows Defender” had blocked the website due to “questionable activity,” saying there was a Trojan Spyware issue. The message told users to contact tech support for help.

Here’s the truth: that alert wasn’t from Windows Defender, and the “tech support” wasn’t real. According to BleepingComputer, if you call the fake tech support, they’ll ask you to download TeamViewer, a program that lets others control your computer remotely. Scammers could then use TeamViewer to lock you out of your computer and demand ransom or to steal your personal information. Always be cautious with ads and pop-ups like these!

Right now, searching for “YouTube” on Google doesn’t show the fake ad anymore—or any ad at all—so this specific problem has been fixed. But that doesn’t mean all fake ads are gone. Anytime you search on Google, the ads that appear above the regular results could still be dangerous. Unfortunately, it’s hard to tell if an ad is fake until you click on it. Always be careful when clicking on ads in search results.

How to stay safe from fake Google ads

The safest option is to avoid clicking on Google ads altogether. This isn’t hard to do—most of the time, the regular search results below the ads will give you what you need. Plus, by skipping the ads, you prevent Google from tracking your interests even more.

If you do need to click on an ad, there are small details to watch for. For example, in Malwarebytes’ tweet, the fake ad says, “YouTube – Official Website.” A real result for YouTube would only show “YouTube.”

Also, the text under the title looked strange, like it was pulled from a YouTube video description. A real result gives a short summary of YouTube as a platform instead.

If the scammers manage to make the ad look completely convincing, here’s a final tip: If clicking on an ad takes you to a site that doesn’t seem right, close the window immediately. Don’t follow any pop-up instructions, don’t install software, and don’t let anyone access your computer. Just get out of the site.

Clicking on the ad itself probably won’t harm your computer, but installing bad software or allowing remote access through something like TeamViewer could cause serious problems. Stay cautious!