Media consulting company Bigmouthmedia, engaged in online positioning, placement and protection of brands, is warning that Internet criminals are targeting the users of Google AdWords in efforts to divert Web traffic and to be able to access the online banking details of individuals and businesses. Bigmouthmedia reported this on May 26, 2008.

It also reported that the amount of phishing e-mails crafted to entice customers into revealing their AdWords account details escalated rapidly during November 2007-April 2008. Meanwhile, an analysis of the statistics relating to Web traffic for April 2008 indicated an increase of 240% over the 2007 monthly average.

Even though Web surfers are aware of fraudulent e-mails that solicit usernames and passwords for accessing online banking services, they are not quite familiar with Google phishing, which is a rather new phenomenon. In this attack, the victims are aimed at not only to obtain their private information that would expose them to thefts of identity, but also to redirect them to the fraudsters' sites, Bigmouthmedia's research stated.

Managing Director Lyndsay Menzies of Bigmouthmedia U.K. said that Google's traffic could well be compared with online cash, thereby appearing almost inevitable that cyber criminals would start targeting AdWords users. Menzies said his company's research indicated that in 2008, there is a massive jump in Google phishing attacks. It therefore clearly emphasized that site owners needed to be wary of this type of threat. The Open Press published Menzies' statement on May 24, 2008.

Bigmouthmedia further said that a new outbreak of phishing attacks that recently targeted Google AdWords users basically meant that spoof e-mails have been sent apparently from Google. The e-mails would request recipients to log into their AdWords account and update their billing details. Although the embedded link would seem to appear like it is a Google.com id, it is actually false. If the recipient clicks the link and enter his billing information, it would get transmitted to an unauthorized individual, who might use the former's credit card number for his own shopping rampage.

Bigmouthmedia reminded that Google AdWords team would never ask its users for any sensitive information over e-mail.