Sponsored search results that lead to fake sites · UtilForge Creator Playbooks, November 2026 drop

CHECK: Advert Check · utilforge.org/tools/advert-check
TITLE TESTED: Why the First Google Result Can Be a Scam (and How to Check) (98/100 in vidIQ)

SCRIPT
You search for your bank, and the first result looks right.
But it is an advert, and anyone can buy one.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation warns that criminals buy search adverts that copy real businesses and lead to fake sites.
Look for the words Sponsored or Ad above the result.
Paste the advert's text into Advert Check at UtilForge.org and tick what you can see.
It names the warning signs, such as a web address that is not the company's own.
The check runs on your own phone.
Scroll past the adverts, or type the address you know.
Already typed in a password or card number? Change the password and call your bank on the number on your card.
Share this with someone who searches before they call.

LONG-FORM ANGLE
Show a real results page and point out which results are adverts.
Read the FBI and FTC warnings and the FTC's question to platforms.
Demo Advert Check with two specimens, then the type-the-address habit.

INSTAGRAM CAROUSEL
1. The first search result can be an advert.
2. Anyone can buy one, including scammers.
3. Look for Sponsored or Ad.
4. Check the web address, or paste the advert into Advert Check at UtilForge.org.
5. Scroll past the adverts, or type the address you know.

Free to reuse, repackage and publish in monetised videos, for public safety, with a link to UtilForge.org. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International. No approval needed.