Avoiding online scams is nothing new for many Canadians, but companies and anti-fraud professionals are warning consumers to watch for fake listings on search engines that try to redirect people to fraudulent versions of familiar companies and brands.
These listings pose as existing businesses and involve new search results popping up, either directing consumers to a fake website that looks similar to the real thing, or providing phone numbers that don’t actually lead to the company in question.
Calgarian Reza Bacchus ran into this issue when trying to search for a new cowboy hat — specifically, a Stetson.
“I came across this StetsonHatCanada.com website … so I just
