Malicious Ads in Search Results Are Driving New Generations of Scams

The report highlights a growing malvertising problem—malicious digital ads and SEO poisoning—that increasingly places scam and malware delivery links in prominent search-result positions. Researchers (Malwarebytes, UNODC) observed sharp month-over-month increases in malvertising incidents, rapid turnover of advertising accounts, and a concentration of ad-fraud activity traced to Pakistan and Vietnam; the technique is being used to distribute infostealers, cryptominers, ransomware, and to support investment and romance scams.