akwad[.]ae

Analysis indicates that the domain akwad.ae is actively hosting a brand‑impersonation campaign targeting Google. The site presents itself as a technology‑support scam, as reflected in the classified scam type, and the page title advertises “Top App & Web Development in Abu Dhabi, Dubai | Best IT Solutions UAE,” which is unrelated to the targeted brand. The campaign is currently marked as high risk and remains active as of the report date.

Infrastructure examination reveals that akwad.ae resolves to the IPv4 address 192.250.230.11, which is assigned to AS209341 operated by WHG Hosting Services Ltd and geolocated in Germany. The domain uses a Let’s Encrypt R12 certificate, indicating encrypted HTTPS support, and is served from nameservers ns5.tasjeel.ae and ns6.tasjeel.ae. An MX record with priority 10 points to ratab.tasjeel.ae, suggesting a functional mail subsystem. HTTP requests to the domain return a 307 temporary redirect, a response often leveraged to steer victims toward malicious endpoints.

Reputation data shows that the domain is listed on two security blocklists—PhishDestroy and ScamSniffer—and has been flagged by three of ninety‑five VirusTotal security vendors. Gridinsoft assigns a trust score of 33 out of 100, reinforcing the low confidence in the site’s legitimacy. These indicators collectively demonstrate a heightened likelihood of malicious activity, despite the relatively modest number of vendor detections.

Defenders should incorporate the IP address 192.250.230.11 and the domain akwad.ae into network‑level blocklists and intrusion‑prevention signatures. Continuous monitoring of DNS queries for the associated nameservers and MX host is recommended to detect any future infrastructure changes. End‑user awareness campaigns should specifically warn users about unsolicited Google‑related technical‑support contacts that reference the domain or its advertised services, emphasizing verification through official channels before any interaction.