According to a blog post by security firm PandaLabs, online criminals have wasted no time in gaming the SEO system in response to the recent earthquake in Haiti. Top Google search results on terms such as ‘Haiti earthquake donate’ are already producing links to fake antivirus malware sites. The objective of these links: click throughs by unsuspecting web surfers who are looking for information on how they can donate to earthquake relief efforts.
The PandaLabs blog outlines a number of SEO deceptions of late, all with the intention of infecting users’ computers with fake antivirus products. According to the blog posting, if users attempt to click on some of these links “[they] will try to infect your computer with a rogueware called LivePcCare.” In addition to the Haiti earthquake, other recent anti-virus shams include SEO campaigns targeting Google’s new Nexus One phone, New Years-related terms, and after Christmas sales, just to name a few.
A sure-fire solution to the problem: go directly to the websites of relief organizations if you wish to donate to victims of the Haiti earthquake. Or, at the very least, visit the websites of reputable news organizations that provide links to relief efforts.