Searching Google to Pay a Bill Could Lead to the Wrong Website

A paid search result can appear above a company’s regular listing, so checking the website address before entering payment information can help consumers avoid third-party fees and fraudulent lookalike sites – Shutterstock

Searching Google for a bill-payment website can feel like one of the safest things possible. Type the company name, find the familiar-looking result, click, pay, and move on with the day.

That routine can go sideways, though, because the first result may not belong to the company you searched for. The Federal Trade Commission recently warned that dishonest businesses can use paid search advertisements to steer people toward third-party payment websites. In some cases, those sites can add fees or create the impression that they represent the company whose name appeared in the search.