Nov 07, 2025Ravie LakshmananData Safety / Malware
Google on Thursday stated it is rolling out a devoted kind to permit companies listed on Google Maps to report extortion makes an attempt made by risk actors who submit inauthentic unhealthy opinions on the platform and demand ransoms to take away the unfavourable feedback.
The method is designed to deal with a typical apply referred to as overview bombing, the place on-line customers deliberately submit unfavourable person opinions in an try and hurt a product, a service, or a enterprise.
“Dangerous actors attempt to circumvent our moderation programs and flood a enterprise’s profile with faux one-star opinions,” Laurie Richardson, vice chairman of Belief & Security at Google, stated. “Following this preliminary assault, the scammers straight contact the enterprise proprietor, usually via third-party messaging apps, to demand fee.”
The risk actors warn of additional escalation ought to the sufferer fail to pay the price, risking potential injury to their public score and popularity. These ploys are seen as an try and coerce retailers into paying the extortion demand.
Google has additionally warned customers of other forms of scams which are prevalent at the moment –
On-line job scams, the place fraudsters impersonate reputable job boards to focus on folks on the lookout for employment utilizing faux postings and recruiter profiles to trick them into offering delicate information underneath the pretext of filling faux software kinds and video interviews, or downloading malware like distant entry trojans (RATs) or data stealers.
AI product impersonation scams, which contain capitalizing on the recognition surrounding synthetic intelligence (AI) instruments to impersonate and promote fashionable AI companies utilizing malvertising, hijacked social media accounts, and trojanized open-source repositories that promise “free” or “unique” entry with a purpose to entice victims into downloading malicious cellular and desktop apps, “fleeceware” apps with hidden subscriptions, and bogus browser extensions.
Malicious VPN apps and extensions, the place risk actors distribute malicious functions disguised as reputable VPN companies throughout platforms utilizing social engineering lures that leverage geopolitical occasions to ensnare victims who’re looking for safe web entry. As soon as put in, these apps can act as a conduit for different payloads like data stealers, RATs, and banking malware that may steal information and drain funds from cryptocurrency wallets.
Fraud restoration scams, which contain focusing on people who’ve already been scammed by posing as asset restoration brokers related to trusted entities like legislation companies and authorities businesses, solely to rip-off them a second time. It is value noting that the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a bulletin about this risk again in August 2025.
Seasonal vacation scams, the place risk actors exploit main vacation and buying durations to deceive unsuspecting buyers with counterfeit provides on social media platforms that result in monetary fraud and information theft.
To counter these schemes, customers are suggested to be cautious of surprising supply texts or emails that demand a price, train warning when approached by individuals who declare they’ll get well funds, obtain apps solely from trusted sources and bonafide builders, and be vigilant when requested to fill out delicate private data.
The event coincides with a report from Reuters, which discovered that Meta is making billions of {dollars} yearly from advert advertising and marketing scams and unlawful merchandise on its platform. Citing an inner December 2024 doc, the British information company stated the rip-off adverts might account for as a lot as 10.1% of its total income, or roughly $16 billion.
Meta allowed “excessive worth accounts” to “accrue greater than 500 strikes with out Meta shutting them down,” Reuters reported, including “a small advertiser must get flagged for selling monetary fraud not less than eight instances earlier than Meta blocked it.”
As well as, the corporate is claimed to have charged unhealthy actors increased charges extra to run adverts as a penalty, as they accrued extra strikes, solely banning advertisers if its automated programs predict they’re 95% sure to be committing fraud. On common, Meta is estimated to have served its platforms’ customers an estimated 15 billion “increased threat” rip-off ads every single day.
In response, Meta stated the ten.1% estimate was tough and overly-inclusive, and that it has eliminated greater than 134 million items of rip-off advert content material up to now in 2025.
