Sponsored Links in Google

If you make a search in Google, you often get some Sponsored Links (middle of the screenshot, faint blue background in this case). These links are links that people/businesses have paid for, they are NOT necessarily the results that best match your search criteria.

IMPORTANT.

In one example, a personal friend clicked on a sponsored free link for spyware removal, which guaranteed to remove certain types of spyware, one of which he knew he had. (I do not believe it was anything in these sponsored links shown below). He downloaded and installed, and yes, it removed all the spyware it said it would, but put its own version of spyware on there. It took 4-6 weeks before antidotes came out and he was finally able to remove that infection from the Sponsored Link.

Beware.