Google has been accused of failing to act for months against cryptocurrency scam advertising next to search results using fake articles purporting to be published by a national newspaper.
Campaigners said the search giant had not stopped fraudsters from selling non-existent investments in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, despite repeated warnings about the scams.
One advert, which showed up at the top of the page when users search Google for investment-related queries, links to a fake Daily Mirror article, claiming to be an interview with Britain’s youngest millionaire detailing how he made his fortune.
The headline reads: “Brit shocked everyone by revealing the app which makes him £23k a month.” When users click though they are taken to a site which promises they can earn millions by using an algorithm that automatically trades crypto markets.
The ad uses a screenshot of Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby conducting an interview on This Morning.
Celebrity images are routinely being used by scammers to attempt to give unsuspecting consumers false reassurance that adverts can be…
