Happy Friday!
With the holidays closing in fast, scammers are betting that you or someone you know will use eBay for Christmas shopping. To snag victims, they've taken out Google Ads with links to fake eBay customer service numbers and websites. This is called malvertising and over the years, it's been highly effective.
In this case, if you search for eBay customer service or tech support, you might encounter sponsored results that look legitimate, but they're scams. The ads use eBay's branding and will direct you to fake websites or search portals displaying bogus customer service phone numbers. If you call any of these numbers, you may become victim to a tech support scam going after your money or identity.
The scammers employ various tactics to appear genuine, including using subdomains of eBay's official website and creating fake search results. Their goal is to trick you into giving them access to your computer, bank accounts or send them gift cards. Here are what some of those ads look like:
The Takeaway Some quick tips so that you or someone you know doesn't become the next victim:
1) Always double check phone numbers before calling, especially if they come from ads or an unsolicited email.
2) When in doubt, go direct. Visit eBay's official website directly (ebay.com) to access support or find legitimate contact information.
3) Be cautious of sponsored search results, even if they appear to use official branding or logos. It's not hard for a scammer to copy eBay's look and feel of legitimacy.
4) Consider using a browser extension that blocks ads - uBlock Origin is one of the best ones available.
Stay safe out there.
-Attila
PS. If you think that this email might be helpful to a friend, family member, client or co-worker, feel free to pass it along. Thank you for your continued support of Cypac's mission.
Thank you for helping us accelerate humanity toward a safer, more secure high-tech future.
New Friday Funnies
Looks like it will be a good Christmas.
I sold my homing pigeon on eBay for the 10th time.
I bought a book on procrastination from eBay. It should arrive any year now.
Comments