Fake ads and websites are costing people thousands of dollars, according to the Better Business Bureau. Here's how to spot ...

1) Unsolicited pop-ups claiming to be from Microsoft or other security services: Janet’s story highlights a common scam tactic, which is fake alerts masquerading as official warnings.

These pop-ups are scams meant to deceive you into thinking your iPhone has been compromised. Fake Apple virus warnings, security alerts and messages are all tactics used to prompt you to call a ...

Meanwhile, fake political ads have proliferated online, including a Kamala Harris deepfake that went viral in July and AI-generated images of Donald Trump that spread misinformation earlier this year.

They pop up at the top of search results and promise unbeatable, limited-time deals. They are actually offering a cruise to nowhere. The ads link to fake websites that do nothing but steal money.

But it doesn’t look like the hackers took the time to create fake pop-ups for mobile phone viewing. “Our team encourages people to look for fake URL bars in any login pop-ups,” Silent Push says.

The Federal Trade Commission will pay more than $25.5 million to Windows users deceived by a scam that convinced them to buy so-called “computer repair” software.