Scammers are buying up adverts on Google to trick Next, TK Maxx and Zara customers
Fraudsters are buying up adverts that appear at the top of search results when shoppers look up popular retailers on Google.
In the past week, we’ve seen examples of dodgy ads when searching for Next, TK Maxx and Zara.
When you click on one of these ads, you’ll be taken to a ‘rewards’ website where you'll be promised a shopping voucher in exchange for completing a series of tasks. In reality, you'll just be handing over your personal details.
Read on to find more about how these dodgy ads work.
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Dodgy retail adverts on Google
These ads appear at the top of the Google search results above the retailer's genuine website.
They often state the retailer’s URL, but when you click on the ad, you’ll be taken to a completely different site.
An example of a dodgy TK Maxx ad is shown below. We've also seen near-identical ads for Next and Zara.
When we clicked on one of these dodgy ads, we were taken to a website where we were asked to spin a wheel to win a £750 voucher.
After spinning the wheel and 'winning', we arrived on the website of Rewards Giant, a ‘rewards’ company we reported on in January.
We were then asked to complete a series of tasks to get the ‘reward’. Each time you complete a task, you’ll be giving away more of your personal data.
We’ve seen lots of reviews from people complaining about receiving scam calls, texts and emails after completing the tasks, all for the promise of a voucher that never arrives.
TK Maxx tweeted that it was looking into these adverts and urged shoppers to be careful. We’ve also reported the ads to Next and Zara.
Next confirmed that the link in the advert does not go to a genuine Next website. It said when it becomes aware of fake adverts like these, it engages with search engine providers to have them promptly taken down.
How do dodgy ads get on to Google?
Anyone can create an advert on Google - after it's been approved in line with Google’s ad policies - meaning fraudsters can exploit the process to their advantage and buy ad space to trick you into visiting dodgy sites.
Google told Which? that it is investigating the adverts we reported. A spokesperson said: 'We have strict policies that govern the kinds of ads that we allow to run on our platform. Where we find ads that breach our policies we take immediate action and will continue to improve our processes. In 2022 we blocked or removed over 5.2 billion ads and suspended more than 6.7 million advertiser accounts.'
The upcoming Online Safety Bill will place a requirement on search engines such as Google to have proportionate systems in place to prevent users from encountering fraudulent adverts. Which? strongly supports the Bill and hopes to see Ofcom produce a strong code of practice to ensure platforms take adequate steps.
How to avoid and report scam ads
It can be difficult to tell which adverts are genuine and which ones aren’t, so it’s best to avoid clicking on ads you see at the top of search results. Ads on Google will always be labelled ‘ad’ or ‘sponsored’. Scroll down to the search results below these ads to visit the retailer’s genuine website.
You can report dodgy ads to Google by using its ad reporting form, which will be reviewed in line with Google’s advertising guidelines.
Scam ads can also be reported to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The ASA shares reports with social media platforms and ad networks operating in the UK to try to get dodgy ads taken down and prevent similar ones from appearing.
