There’s a new alert that’s just been issued to UK homes and you’d be wise to take notice if you have printer. With millions of us still using these popular accessories it appears they have become a top target for hackers set on stealing personal data. What makes these gadgets even better for cyber crooks is they are often going wrong which means users are always searching online for ways to get them fixed.

According to the team at Malwarebytes, there’s been a flurry of fake adverts appearing on search engines which redirect unsuspecting users to dodgy websites.

Some of the unofficial adverts even use popular names such as HP in a bid to get people clicking on the links. Once a consumer has landed on the hooky webpage, they are asked to supply details such as the make and model number of their printing device.

New software updates then appear with users told to download and install them but when trying to load the files an error appears along with a live chat bubble. The next part of the attack attempts to lure the printer owner into calling a fake support hotline.

It’s here where things get nasty with the crooks then asking for permission to take over the person’s PC in a bid to fix things.

Instead of sorting the printer, all they actually do is fill it full of nasty malware which is capable of stealing data including banking credentials.

“It is quite common for scammers to request and be granted remote access to the user’s computer. This gives them leverage to do a number of things, such as stealing data, locking the machine or even using it to log into the victim’s bank account.

“This is why it is so important to be extremely cautious with online search ads, and search results in general.”

If you need help with a printer issue, be aware when searching for help online. You are always best to head directly to the manufacturers own website or take the printer back to where you bought it.

“There are many people that fall for these types of scams and entire armies of tech support agents working in poor conditions ready to defraud them,” added Malwarebytes.

“The script is usually standard across scams, with the support agent impersonating a popular brand and requesting personal information from the victim.”