Scammers hijack real support pages to show fake phone numbers

Bottom line: A recent warning from Malwarebytes explains that users searching for tech support phone numbers can encounter fake contact information, even when visiting the official websites of major brands. Users should carefully examine text appearing in support site search bars and approach sponsored Google search results with caution, if at all.

Many people likely understand that they should verify URLs when visiting sites for banks, tech companies, and other critical services to avoid fraudulent links. While steering clear of links in suspicious emails is a well-known security precaution, hackers also frequently purchase sponsored Google ads that lead to fake websites designed to steal personal information.

However, the latest scam is even sneakier. Instead of creating fake websites, scammers inject false tech support numbers into legitimate sites by modifying parameters in sponsored search links. Search engines don't display the added text in the URLs, and official support pages don ...