AI-Powered "Store Reviews" To Protect Google Users

There is a common saying nowadays when dealing with technology and that is "think before you click".

With technological breakthroughs, scam sites run rampant on search engines like Google, as malicious actors attempt to steal precious personal data and financial information using phony websites posing as the real thing.

To thwart these cybercriminals, Google is reportedly working on an AI-powered tool on Chrome that provides a summary of third-party reviews of websites from cybersecurity companies like ScamAdvisor or Trust Pilot, according to one eagle-eyed X user.

The X user clarified that "this feature is still under development and the summary is not yet displayed," but there will allegedly "be a button that will open a dedicated Side panel with ALL the reviews."

The new feature, called "Store Reviews," has been praised by Forbes as an "excellent move" to protect people online.

"It should help consumers tell fake sites from real, without having to rely on telltale signs such as the mark-up of the page, the URL or the consistency of its information," the outlet reported.

Since "Store Reviews" has yet to be implemented, there are a few ways users can protect themselves and their data in the meantime.

As scam websites have soared 89 percent, the FBI issued a warning this week imploring shoppers to browse the web with caution in the wake of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

According to the government agency, common schemes include non-delivery scams, when goods are paid for but never delivered; non-payment scams, when sellers ship products and are never paid for them; auction fraud, when items up for auction are misrepresented; and gift card fraud, when vendors require buyers to pay only with pre-paid gift cards.

The government agency urged internet users to not click suspicious links, double-check website URLs and verify the legitimacy of vendors online by reading reviews and ensuring the site is secure with "https" before the URL.