Help Me Hank: Take action to stop hackers from taking advantage of targeted ads

DETROIT – You've probably seen ads targeting you and your shopping habits, but did you know they can make you a target for hackers looking to do more than just track what sites you visit online?

Pop-up ads are everywhere, and as many people begin doing more shopping this time of the year, you need to take steps to protect yourself.

The ads can be more than just a nuisance: If you click on one of them, you could be sharing your personal information with hackers, and before you know it, it's too late.

Laura Blankenship, with the Better Business Bureau, said people need to take action to reduce the threat of online hacking. If you use Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, you should go into your profile and limit your personal information.

You should also use an ad blocker to prevent annoying pop-up ads.

Watch the video above for the full report from Local 4 News at 5.

 


About the Authors:

Hank Winchester is Local 4’s Consumer Investigative Reporter and the head of WDIV’s “Help Me Hank” Consumer Unit. Hank works to solve consumer complaints, reveal important recalls and track down thieves who have ripped off people in our community.

Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.