09/22/2026

Scammers are buying Google ads to steal bank logins

Fox News

You need to check your bank account, so you open Google, type in your bank's name and click the first result that looks right. Most of us have done some version of that without thinking twice.

Now federal investigators say criminals turned that everyday habit into a way to steal bank logins and drain accounts. The Justice Department announced on Sept. 8 that a Russian web developer accused of helping run a large bank account takeover operation had been extradited to the United States. Prosecutors say the group bought sponsored search engine links that sent banking customers to fake login pages. Victims then entered their credentials, believing they had reached their bank.

That should get the attention of anyone who banks online. Here's how the scam works, why those sponsored results can look so convincing and what you can do to avoid handing your bank login to a criminal.