Your uncle’s frozen Mac says it’s infected after viewing a Google ad. Now what?

Sophisticated threat actors are increasingly exploiting Google’s advertising platform to distribute deceptive alerts that falsely claim a user’s computer is compromised. These malicious ads often trigger fake technical support pop-ups, misleading victims into contacting scammers who then attempt to gain remote access to devices or solicit payments for unnecessary software. This trend highlights a significant vulnerability in digital advertising supply chains, where legitimate platforms are being weaponized to erode consumer trust and facilitate large-scale social engineering attacks.