Summary
Google is a great search engine. However, even Google sometimes produces dangerous and malicious search results. And some queries are more likely to direct you to malicious scammers. Here are five search topics that are likely to direct you to scammers.
Listen
Links
Transcript
Google is an excellent search engine. It’s become number one because it almost always provides the best results. However, despite how good Google is at search, some topics are more likely to produce spam or scammy results. Here are five of those subjects that you should avoid searching online.
For Personal Tech Media, this is Two Minute Tech. I’m Jim Herman.
First, don’t use Google or any other search engine to look for customer support numbers. Scammers will create fake websites and work to get them to the top of the search results. The support number you find might be a scam instead of the company’s actual support number.
Second, don’t search for mobile apps. Go to the official app store for your device and search there. If you do a Google search for an app, you’ll run a greater risk of finding a fake app for your phone or tablet.
Third, don’t search for financial websites. Since access to your online banking opens you up to many attacks, criminals will often focus on stealing this information. Go straight to your bank’s website instead of searching Google for it.
Fourth, don’t search for social media sites. You don’t have to type Facebook into a Google search to get to Facebook. You can just go to Facebook.com. There’s no reason to take a chance on clicking on the wrong results.
And finally, avoid searching for coupon codes online. Some sites pretend to offer significant discounts when you search for something like “Amazon coupon.” However, these sites will often ask for personal information, and then you still won’t get the discount you thought you’d get anyway.