Fraudulent Version of Adblock Plus Downloaded by Thousands: How to Check If Extension is Real

By Denise See, Christian Post Contributor Thursday, October 12, 2017

Google Chrome users should always be alert when it comes to fake extensions, especially since a fraudulent Adblock Plus recently appeared in the browser's Web Store.

According to The Verge, the bogus extension had the same name as the popular ad blocker, Adblock Plus. The copy was so similar that more than 30,000 Chrome users fell prey to the scam and downloaded the extension. The only discernable difference with the fake version is that it spelled the brand with a capital "B" to make AdBlock Plus.

Google has since removed the fraudulent extension from their Web Store, though it seems that the damage has been done. Over 37,000 users had already downloaded the extension by the time it was discovered to be fake.

The phony AdBlock Plus was first spotted by Twitter user SwiftOnSecurity. Right now, it is unknown whether the extension did any real harm. However, users have reported being bombarded with advertisements upon getting the extension. Others have said that Chrome is opening new tabs on its own after the fake version was downloaded.

For those who have the extension on their browser and would like to know if it is the real deal or not, simply go to the Chrome Web Store and check for Adblock Plus. The developer should be listed as adblockplus.org. A good clue is also to see whether the letter "b" is capitalized.

This is not the first time Google Chrome has been hit with a fake extension. In 2015, the company seemed to put a stop to malicious extensions when it prohibited users from downloading any that could not be found on the Web Store. And while it seemed to work for them, as the number of users asking for help removing undesirable extensions decreased by 75 percent, it only made hackers more creative when it comes to making fraudulent extensions.