Fake Procurement Scams via Google Search & Ads
Fraudsters use fake tender portals and procurement sites promoted through search and ads to collect registration fees or deposits for contracts that do not exist.
Part of: Fake Procurement Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Businesses searching for tenders, contracts, or procurement portals may click a result or ad that leads to a fake site rather than a genuine opportunity. Fake procurement scams exploit this by promoting portals that imply lucrative contracts but exist only to collect fees or data.
A prominent search position or paid ad can lend an unearned sense of legitimacy to a fabricated tender portal. Suppliers eager to win contracts may register and pay before verifying that the opportunity, or the organisation behind it, is real.
How this scam works on Google Search & Ads
The operator builds a portal advertising tenders or supplier opportunities with reputable-sounding organisations, then promotes it through search visibility and ads targeting procurement queries.
A supplier who finds the site is invited to register, often for a fee, or to pay a deposit or bond to bid on a contract. The site may request sensitive business and financial details as part of supposed vetting. The promised contracts justify each cost.
After fees are paid or data submitted, no genuine contract follows and the portal may disappear. Search and ad platforms are neutral channels the operator abuses, not parties to the fraud, and the supplier is left out of pocket with no real opportunity.
Common red flags
- A tender or procurement portal reached via search or ad that cannot be verified
- A registration fee or bid bond required to access contracts
- Tenders attributed to organisations that do not confirm them
- Requests for sensitive business data during registration
- A site address that does not match any official procurement body
- Pressure to register quickly before a deadline
How to protect yourself
- Verify tenders through the contracting organisation's official channels
- Be wary of any fee to register for or bid on a contract
- Check the portal against known official procurement platforms
- Withhold sensitive data until the opportunity is confirmed
- Treat unverifiable organisations and deadlines as warning signs
- Confirm the portal operator through independent records
How to report it
- Report the fake portal to the search or ad platform involved
- Alert any genuine organisation named in the fake tenders
- File a report with your national fraud or cybercrime authority
Frequently asked questions
A procurement portal from search asks for a fee to bid on contracts. Is that normal?
Be cautious. Genuine procurement processes do not usually charge suppliers to register or bid through an unofficial portal. Verify the tenders directly with the contracting organisation and avoid paying fees to an unverified site.