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The DNS scam requires a computer to have its DNS settings changed by a virus, so that it's redirected to one of the rogue servers.

The paper, released by the University of Georgia, estimates that around 0.4% of all DNS servers are now behaving maliciously, sending users to spoof websites that can be so convincing they don't realise anything is wrong.

This means that users searching for Google could end up being redirected to a similar looking site loaded with advertising or malware.

While DNS scams are nothing new, the paper highlights the growing intelligence of the fraudsters, noting rogue DNS servers don't always return incorrect results, convincing users that everything is normal.

The paper warns that should the numbers of rogue DNS servers continue to grow, it could undermine the public's faith in the internet.