If your organization buys Google Adwords, you’ll want to be on the lookout for a sinister phishing scam that’s making the rounds.

Online criminals are targeting Google Adwords users, trying to steal Internet traffic and gain access to business and individual banking details.

According to the latest research from Bigmouthmedia, the volume of ‘phishing’ emails designed to trick customers into handing over Adwords account login details has increased rapidly in the last six months. Analysis of traffic stats for April reveals a rise of 240% on the monthly average for 2007.

Although Web users are familiar with fraudulent emails seeking usernames and passwords for online banking facilities, Google Phishing’s something of a new twist in the phishing game. Victims are targeted not only for the details that would leave them open to identity theft, but they get double socked: Their Adwords traffic gets hijacked to the thief’s site.

Experts observe that the sudden spike is evidence of Google’s rising significance, with organized online crime now targeting the search giant in much the same manner as it would attack a major bank or software company.

Remember, whenever you get a link to an e-mail asking you to update credit card or bank information, you should NOT click it, no matter how real it looks or whose email address the notice appears to come from.

If you worry that the alert might be real, call the company that supposedly sent the email and ask.

Tags: adwords, Google, phishing, scam