02/02/2026
"ACT NOW"
"YOU'RE UNPROTECTED"
"ALLOW NOTIFICATIONS"
"YOUR LOCATION IS VISIBLE"
"DON'T MISS OUT"
"CLICK HERE"
"CLAIM FOR FREE"
"DOWNLOAD"
。。。
Did you fall for it?
If any of these prompts seem familiar to you, it's because you've likely seen them as click bait, and sneaky "hidden in plain sight" advertising on websites. These dangerous tactics are used to trick you into clicking on their malicious links, often resulting in Malware, Viruses, or Theft.
We feel your pain! The scammers are becoming more skilled at disguising their bait as legitimate links and messages, and they often look official.
In a recent article by Which?, they delve into, "How Scammers Use Ads to Target You on Trusted Websites" (Which.co.uk 2026) and this article got us thinking as well. We've seen, even on respectable news and entertainment websites, ads that disguise themselves as download links, ones that illustrate dodgy services, and use targeted ads, among other things!
The trouble is, oftentimes unsuspecting people will click on these, unaware of the dangers they pose.
・What is CLICK BAIT?
(You'll never guess the Real answer!)
Yes, the above IS an example of click bait, great job at spotting that!
Essentially, click bait uses psychology to entice the reader or viewer into spontaneous curiosity. With shock, questions, and a bit of scandal, click bait often uses celebrities to enhance their stories. It makes the viewer curious to learn more, but unfortunately, most click bait that's floating around the internet are full of falsehoods and fibs! Miracle weight loss scams, fake medical or financial advice, and more. This is a rubbish tactic that is widely used by advertising everywhere.
・What are Deep Fakes?
With the scary increase of Generative Ai, fake videos and photography, impersonating real events or people, are cropping up and fooling many people. Scammers use genAi to steal the face, voice, and credibility of politicians, doctors, celebrities, and even ordinary people to further their scamming goals. Among Malware and viruses, now people also need to remain vigilant against proven cognitive decline and waves of false and misleading information known as "Ai Hallucinations."
It's more important than ever to remain cautious and use our critical thinking to save ourselves the trouble of scams.
Which.co.uk explores the dangers of Deep Fakes with an example, in the previously mentioned article, about a viral Deep Fake video that was shown as an Ad scam on the Google News app. It impersonated Dr Hillary and Sir Richard Branson in a fake ITV interview. Follow the link below for the full story.
Websites that allow ads, earn revenue for the ad space, however, often they cannot choose directly which ads are shown on their sites and use systems that are supposed to filter out the nasty ones, but this doesn't always work. That puts the stress and responsibility on the users to spot the fakes, the lies, and the dangers.
Here's a helpful list of "6 Signs of a Scam Advert" from that Which.co.uk article
1. Investments that sound too good to be true
2. Sensational claims - especially health cures or outlandish hacks
3. Poor spelling and grammar
4. Pressure tactics - are you being asked to act fast?
5. Celebrities promoting products or investments - always double check endorsements.
6. Blurred branding and logos - a genuine advert should have better image quality.
https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/how-automated-online-ads-are-used-by-scammers-aFFbX1u44KeO
。。。
A few tips on how to spot a deepfake: pay close attention to a photo or video that "feels off". Look at the faces. Check for unnatural facial expressions, strange blinking and body movements, and visual and auditory inconsistencies.
Be safe on the internet, and if you ever get scammed, and Malware or Viruses end up on your device, come into K. Wilkie Computer Services, and we'll be Your IT Solution!
。。。
