Skip the Ad Scams  

Phishing ad scams use popular search engines to deliver fake advertisements that appear legitimate to steal your personal information and hard-earned money.

How Phishing Ad Scams Work
Next time you use any search engine, be sure to carefully examine the ad results before clicking. Phishing ad scams consist of fake ads that mimic legitimate offers and companies. This makes distinguishing between genuine and fraudulent search ad results difficult. If you click on a phishing ad, you’ll be directed to a fraudulent website designed to steal your personal information.

What Can Happen
According to Kyle Rholl, Clearwater’s SVP of Information Technology, criminals purchase ad space to create ads that look like they are from real businesses. By tricking consumers or businesses, scammers can harvest login credentials, such as usernames and passwords, credit card numbers, and other sensitive data. The consequences of falling for such scams can include financial loss, identity theft, and more.

Scammers often use urgency, fear, and curiosity to prompt quick emotional responses from consumers and businesses. For instance, an ad might claim that “immediate action is needed.” If someone is deceived and provides their login credentials, the criminals are one step closer to exploiting another victim.

You Can Protect Yourself

• Avoid ads with urgency, threatening language, or requests for sensitive info.
• Go directly to the website by entering the URL manually.
• If the offers are too good to be true, it’s probably a scam.
• Use Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) codes sent via text message or authenticator applications to prevent someone from wrongfully gaining access to your accounts.

If you suspect you’ve been the victim of fraud, contact us as soon as possible at 406-523-3300 or service@clearwatercreditunion.org. Check out the Clearwater Fraud and Security Center to stay updated on the latest scams and learn how to detect a con, like phishing ad scams, from a mile away.