GOLDEN RULES:
- Slow it down - Scams are often designed to create a sense of urgency. Take time to ask questions and think it through.
- Spot check - Do your research to double check the details you are getting. Does what they’re telling you make sense?
- Stop! Don’t send - No reputable person or agency will ever demand payment or your personal information on the spot.
If you've received an unsolicited phone call or e-mail from someone claiming to work for Google's AdSense team asking for money, you may have been affected by a scam. The person will tell you that you have a balance sitting in a Google AdSense account that is refundable to you, but you must pay a security deposit in order to release the funds. You'll then be given an address where you should mail the security deposit in the form of a certified check in order to receive your refund.
The reality is, Google AdSense does not require payment in order to release funds owed to you and there is no fee to use our AdSense service. You can check the Reports and Payments pages to view your current AdSense account balance.
If you've already sent a payment and think you have been scammed, you can report the scam to the appropriate authorities.
Be wary of fake pop-up ads claiming to be offers from Google. Also, if the correspondence you received came from a Gmail address, you can report the Gmail account to help Google take appropriate action on accounts involved in this scam.