Fraudsters buy ads on Google Shopping and redirect users to fake stores.
April 14, 2022
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The Brazilians do not have a moment of peace in this country. Inflation, high prices for everything, pandemic, late carnival; and when he thinks he can have fun,
The Brazilians do not have a moment of peace in this country. Inflation, high prices for everything, pandemic, late carnival; and when he thinks he can have fun, like buying a new smartphone at a good price, he goes there and falls for the bait.
Fraudsters use fake ads Google attract unsuspecting buyers and make money on them.
The most popular search engine in Brazil, Google, allows users to advertise their products; So, if you have an online store, pay Google and your products will show up in the SHOPPING tab on the search engine.
The scammers of the time make this payment to Google to advertise smartphones iPhone xp appear to users. So far, nothing bad. The problem is that they use the names of large digital retailers such as Carrefour, Journal Louise and American and advertise the device at prices much lower than in legal stores, between 1499 and 1800 reais, while the current market average is between 3400 and 3700 reais.
Track!
Scams are not new, but there will always be users with little experience in online shopping who will end up falling for these tempting offers.
Tip: Always keep an eye on the URL you are redirected to when you click on a Google ad. Usually large retailers have domains with only the brand name (Americanas.com.br, Carrefour.com.br, Magazineluiza.com.br), and if you go to a different URL, even if the site is similar and has a store logo, be suspicious.
And if you find fraud or similar fraud in the Google environment, it will provide you with a form to report it, and through it, after analysis, the company can remove the fake ad from its search pages.
Continuation after commercial
Of course, these are not ideal measurements. In such a blow, the brand and customers are damaged. There must be mechanisms to stop this false advertising, especially when the credibility of big companies is used to deceive the consumer.
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I’m Maurice Knox, a professional news writer with a focus on science. I work for Div Bracket. My articles cover everything from the latest scientific breakthroughs to advances in technology and medicine. I have a passion for understanding the world around us and helping people stay informed about important developments in science and beyond.