Never enter these words in the search bar: which queries attract hackers

Cybersecurity experts are sounding the alarm over a new threat to Google users. Attackers are creating special traps in the search engine using the SEO poisoning method.

According to the Daily Star, hackers are developing fake websites and placing them in the top search results. When a user lands on such pages, their personal data is at risk of being stolen.

Sophos has documented a case in Australia where a simple search for information about Bengal cats resulted in computers being infected with malware. Criminals are also actively using paid advertising to promote fraudulent sites.

Ben Van Pelt, founder of TorGuard, warns against searching for phrases like “customer support number” and “easy loans”, as hackers often masquerade as technical support staff. Also dangerous are requests for quick earnings and high-paying remote work.

The search queries “free reports”, “psychological resilience”, “google authenticator”, “buy viagra”, etc. are under special scrutiny. Fraudsters create fake pages where they require you to enter personal data and bank details.