// ZDNET — INTELLIGENZA ARTIFICIALE
This new ChatGPT scam tricks you into installing malware – how to spot the trap
This authentic-looking scam starts with a sponsored Google link - and it's catching people off-guard.
A new scam involving ChatGPT has emerged, and it might lead you to install malware on your computer if you’re not careful.
Over the past several days, reports have surfaced of users encountering a strange interaction when using ChatGPT. “Service Availability Notice,” the message reads. “We’re currently experiencing limited availability on the primary domain. Please choose one of the following options to continue:”
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The chat presents an offer to upgrade to a Plus subscription or a link to a backup domain. Here’s how the scam works, why it’s so convincing, and what you can do to avoid it.
(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, ZDNET’s parent company, filed an April 2025 lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis’ copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)
The scam starts when you search “ChatGPT” in Google. Like almost every Google search, you’ll see sponsored results, or paid ads, above the authentic search results. If you click on what appears to be a real link to ChatGPT, you’re taken to what appears to be the actual site.
Instead, you’ve landed on a custom GPT, or a user-generated, specialized version of ChatGPT that’s tailored for specific tasks. In this instance, the task is to spit out the availability notice response no matter what’s entered.
What’s most convincing is that you’re on the actual ChatGPT domain and your account is logged in (if you were before). There’s nothing at first to indicate this isn’t authentic other than the name “Plus 5.6.” If you’re not familiar with ChatGPT model naming conventions, though, this wouldn’t stick out.
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