FBI Recommends Installing an Ad Blocker To Keep Scammers At Bay

Too lazy to install an advertisement blocker on your browser? Now’s a good time to do it, as the Federal Bureau of Investigation has issued a reminder that such tools could help users avoid online scams. 

The agency made the recommendation in a recent alert, advising users on how to avoid malicious advertisements in search engines—dubbed “malvertising”—with suggestions on how to protect themselves from such threats. 

Cybercriminals are ramping up their scams on popular search engines, using advertisements to impersonate brands. Upon clicking a fake advertisement, users will be directed to a malicious site that could steal login details or other information. 

Most of the time, it’s difficult for inexperienced or casual surfers to recognize these scams, considering many of these advertisements link to webpages that look indistinguishable from a brand’s official site. 

One suggestion to help combat such threats is to use an ad-blocking extension when searching on the web, which is available for most browsers. You’ll be able to toggle these tools to the level of visibility, permitting advertisements on certain sites while blocking suspicious ones. 

An important way for users to protect themselves is by double-checking the URL of a site to confirm its authenticity. Fake webpages may have a similar name to the original, but include misspellings or additional characters. 

“While search engine advertisements are not malicious in nature, it is important to practice caution when accessing a web page through an advertised link,” the organization sums up. 

[via PC Mag and Federal Bureau of Investigation, cover image via Syda Productions | Dreamstime.com]