The top search result can be a paid ad from a look-alike company. Here's what the FTC says to look for and what to do instead.
You need to pay a bill, renew something, or find a government site, so you type the name into a search engine and click the first result. That first result may be an ad, and the FTC says some dishonest companies pay for exactly that spot. In 2026 the FTC warned about this twice: once about look-alike bill payment sites, and once about fake health insurance sites during Open Enrollment. (FTC, August 2026; FTC, September 2026)
Got a message you're not sure about? Check it in seconds.
Check it with ShieldrThe FTC says dishonest companies buy paid search ads so their sites appear at the top when you look for a company's bill payment page. In the FTC's bill-pay example, the top result looked like it belonged to a well-known lab company, but it was a paid text ad that took you to another company's site. The FTC alleged that company used search engines to present itself as an official payment channel for companies and agencies including a lab, a phone carrier and state toll authorities. Once you're on the wrong site, you may not realize it has no relationship with the business you meant to pay, and it may add fees you didn't expect. (FTC)
The same tactic shows up with health insurance. The FTC says scammers and dishonest businesses sometimes pay to appear at the top of search results, with web addresses that look similar to government sites and logos that make them seem like Healthcare.gov or Medicare.gov. Their ads may lead to a plan that isn't real health insurance, or expose you to medical identity theft. (FTC)
Check your statement for the amount and any fee you didn't expect. Then pay the real company directly so the bill isn't late, and ask your card issuer, using the number on the back of your card, how to dispute the charge from the wrong site. Report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov, which is where the FTC asks you to report questionable business practices. (FTC)
The FTC says social media platforms don't always thoroughly vet the ads you see or the advertisers behind them, and that anyone can pay to run ads, including scammers who impersonate real brands. It advises searching the company's name plus “scam” or “complaint” before you buy. (FTC) When a link comes by text, email or QR code instead, our guide on how to check if a link is safe covers it.
Share it to Shieldr from your iPhone. It tells you safe, suspicious or scam, with a one-sentence reason, and checks links against Google's list of known malicious sites. It's one more check before you act, not a guarantee.
Get Shieldr on the App StoreNo. The FTC says dishonest companies buy paid search ads so their sites appear at the top. Look for “Ad” or “Sponsored” labels and scroll past paid results.
The FTC advises typing the company's web address straight into your browser instead of searching for it, and confirming you have the right website or contact information.
The FTC says to check for “Ad” or “Sponsored” labels and confirm the address ends in .gov. For Medicare use Medicare.gov, and for health plans use HealthCare.gov.
Report it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. For Medicare fraud, report it at Medicare.gov or call 800-633-4227.
Related: the Medicare open enrollment scam, how to check if a link is safe, the unpaid toll text scam and how to report a scam.