Your Google search serving you scams?

A major highlight this week is the weaponization of Google’s AI Overviews. Scammers are successfully injecting malicious information into these summaries to direct users toward phishing sites and fraudulent support portals. This marks a shift from harmless AI "hallucinations" to deliberate security exploitation. Additionally, researchers warned that AI agents like Grok and Copilot could be turned into covert command-and-control channels by hackers.

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Daniel Masterson, Ai Courtrie Buson & Bard Gee
February 20, 2026

for the week February 15, 2026, 109th edition

Your quick weekend update and reminder.
☝️ TWA

These manipulated results actively direct users toward phishing sites, fraudulent customer service portals, and counterfeit products.

🤷‍♀️ What now?: Now that you know this is possible, be extra vigilant when you’re doing your searches online.

about this edition and Inside Hexagon

It is heartening to see that at least one government is aware of the level of threat that cyber can pose to the society. UK.gov launches cyber 'lockdown' campaign as 80% of orgs still leave door open

We are not entirely surprised to learn that Google's AI summary feature is inadvertently serving scam results. However, it is an issue of significant concern that warrants our attention and discussion this week. The prevalence of such scams being disseminated through a widely-used platform like Google underscores the risk factor is using Google Search.

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HOUSEKEEPING

Glossary/Legend:

  • Zero Trust - a strategic cybersecurity framework based on the principle of "never trust, always verify," requiring strict identity authentication and authorization for every user and device, whether inside or outside the network perimeter. It assumes breach, removes implicit trust, and employs granular, least-privilege access controls to protect resources. 

  • Holistic security - a comprehensive strategy that integrates various protection layers—physical, digital, psycho-social, and organizational—to safeguard individuals, communities, or systems, recognizing that true security involves overall well-being, not just isolated technical defenses.

  1. Personal Identifier - A unique word or phrase shared exclusively with an individual or a group, serving as a means of identification and affirmation within the established relationship. It is recommended that 2 or more Personal Identifiers be established per person.

  2. Malware (short for malicious software) - refers to any intrusive software developed by cybercriminals (often called hackers) to steal data and damage or destroy computers and computer systems.

  3. Ransomware - A type of malware that locks or encrypts a victim's files and demands a ransom payment to unlock and decrypt them. Ransomware can infect a variety of devices, including computers, smartphones, printers, and more.

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DISCLAIMER

Cybersecurity is an ever-changing field, and threats may evolve. While Hexagon Center strives to provide accurate and timely information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. Users are responsible for implementing their security measures and staying informed about the latest cybersecurity developments. Hexagon Center is not responsible for any cyber or scam attacks by our readers. HX Weekly tips are advice are not official positions of Hexagon Center nor is Hexagon Center responsible for its content.

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