Fake Health Insurance Websites Hide in Paid Search Results — Scroll Past the Ads to Find Real Sources
Scammers buy paid search ads that mimic official government health insurance websites. When you search for "ACA insurance" or "Medicare," the top results may display familiar government branding, colors, and language — but link to impersonator sites designed to harvest your personal information or charge fees for services that are free through official channels. The FTC has taken enforcement action against companies running these campaigns, including a settlement with MediaAlpha for ads that closely resembled HealthCare.gov.
These ads work because most people click the first search result they see. The impersonator sites are designed to look convincing at a glance — using .com or .org domains instead of .gov, but otherwise copying government layouts and language.
What to look for
- Search results for health insurance or Medicare that look like government sites but end in .com, .org, or other non-.gov domains
- A small "Ad" or "Sponsored" label next to the top search results
- Websites that copy government branding, colors, and language but have slightly different URLs
- Sites that ask for personal information or payment before showing you plan options