Researchers at Netskope discovered a sophisticated tech support scam delivered through Google ads that freezes screens on both Windows and Mac devices, displaying urgent messages instructing victims to call a bogus call center. The malicious ads appeared across high-traffic sites including maps, weather, real-estate, document-hosting, and sports platforms. From August 31 to September 14, Netskope observed users from 619 customer organizations click the malicious ads, though none were scammed due to blocking. Approximately 62 percent of affected organizations were US-based, with Japan and Australia ranking second and third. Netskope tracked over 250 Google Ads campaign IDs across at least 284 legitimate publisher sites, suggesting actual exposure is far higher.

The scam locks the browser, hides the cursor, disables exit keys, and lags performance to simulate a broken machine, pressuring victims to call the displayed number. Once connected, scammers demand hefty fees, remote access, or personal information.

Experts note that ridicule of victims ignores a significant portion of internet users who lack technical understanding. Combined with urgency and increasingly complex web navigation, this makes many users prime targets — including friends and family of tech-savvy critics.