Oct 4 (Reuters) - Alphabet's Google is testing

showing check marks next to certain companies on its search

results, a company spokesperson said on Friday, in a move aimed

at helping users identify verified sources and steer clear of

fake websites.

Fraudulent websites impersonating official businesses or

services could creep up in online search results, leading users

to view false information about the business, deceiving users

and potentially harming the brand.

"We regularly experiment with features that help shoppers

identify trustworthy businesses online, and we are currently

running a small experiment showing checkmarks next to certain

businesses on Google," the spokesperson said.

Google already uses automated systems to identify pages with

"scammy" or fraudulent content and prevent them from showing up

in the search results.

The Verge reported the development earlier on Friday, adding

that it spotted blue verified checkmarks next to official site

links for companies including Microsoft ( MSFT ), Meta

and Apple ( AAPL ) on search results.

Only some users were able to see the feature, the Verge

said, indicating Google has not rolled out the test widely yet.