Hackers are reportedly using a new form of malware that targets unsuspecting victims’ bank accounts by placing malicious links into Google’s search engine results.
A report from the Cisco-owned cyber threat intelligence group Talos says that there is a new form of malware called Zeus Panda that uses search engine optimization (SEO) to push malicious links advertising fake banks to the top of search results in the hopes that victims will click on them.
“[It’s] a clever way … to serve malicious files,” a spokesperson for the internet security firm Avast told Fox News. “Although it’s not completely new, it’s rarely seen as a mechanism of spreading malware such as banking Trojans.”
According to the Talos report, the goal of these hackers is to trick you into clicking on the link to the hacked website that redirects you until the site asks you to download a Microsoft Word document.
“Ironically we have observed the same redirection system and associated infrastructure used to direct victims to tech support and fake [anti-virus] scams,” the Talos report added.
The malware has reportedly targeted customers in India, Australia, Sweden, and Saudi Arabia.
Hackers also targeted Google users in May when they sent out fake Google docs to spread malware.