Researchers have discovered that some Google ads are being used to spread a complex tech support scam that tricks users into calling fake customer service numbers. These ads, which appear on popular websites related to maps, weather, real estate, document hosting, and sports, display messages that freeze the screen and show fake security warnings. The scam attempts to convince users their computers are locked, prompting them to call a number on the screen. Once contacted, victims are asked to pay fees, allow remote access to their devices, or share personal information. The scam was detected by the security firm Netskope between August 31 and September 14. During that time, users from 619 different organizations clicked on the malicious ads. However, no actual scams were completed because Netskope blocked the content before it could harm users. The majority of these organizations were based in the United States, with Japan and Australia following closely behind in terms of affected organizations. Netskope found that over 250 different Google Ads campaign IDs were used to spread the scam across at least 284 legitimate websites. The scam works by making a browser appear to freeze, displaying a fake security warning that covers the entire screen, hides the cursor, and causes the browser to lag. This creates the illusion that the computer is broken and pressures users to call the number shown on the screen. However, the device is not actually locked, and the effect is purely visual. While some people mock those who fall for these scams, it's important to recognize that a large portion of internet users lack basic knowledge about how computers and the internet work. Many users need to accomplish tasks quickly and often find it difficult to navigate online environments. This combination of limited technical understanding and the increasing complexity of the web makes these users particularly vulnerable to scams like the one discovered by Netskope.