Gmail users have been warned of a new scam which could see hackers gain full access to their Google account.
The ‘devastating’ scam, first seen in May 2024, sees attackers using artificial intelligence to steal vital information, with some victims even having their identities stolen.
This newest tactic uses AI to create realistic phone calls claiming their Gmail has been compromised.
After the initial phone calls, ‘legitimate’ looking emails are then sent – appearing to be from Google – but not all is as it seems.
Gmail users are then sent suspicious links, which may look real to those without a discerning eye. From there, identity, financial and information theft occurs.
Victim Sam Mitrovic recalled his ordeal: ‘The scams are getting increasingly sophisticated, more convincing and are deployed at ever larger scale.
‘People are busy and this scam sounded and looked legitimate enough that I would give them an A for their effort. Many people are likely to fall for it.’
If you have any reason to be suspicious, always err on the side of caution.
To stay safe online, follow the tips below:
- Look carefully at the email address. Does it have numbers in it, or seem odd in any way? Does the phone number seem odd in some way?
- Zoom in or examine the logo closely and compare it to those used on the company’s official website. Do they match? Is it fuzzy?
- Are there any grammatical or spelling errors in the email or text message? It may look like it was rushed or the English might not be perfect.
- Hover your mouse over the link, or copy the link address into a Word Document, so you can see the URL without clicking on it. Does it match the official website address? If not do NOT click on it. Does the URL have any words squashed in between the main website name and the ‘.com’ section, ie: Microsoft.maliciousdomainname.com? If so, it’s fake.
- If you’ve replied to the initial email, and another one has arrived that mentions payment of some kind, this is almost definitely a phishing scam.
Last year, some people were sent photos of their homes on Google Maps in a bid to scare them into paying criminals.
The idea is to threaten victims by claiming this is not purely an empty online threat.
Details of the creepy new tactic were revealed by cybersecurity firm Barracuda, who said ‘sextortion’ is now a major problem making up 3% of targeted phishing attacks.
Criminals threaten to share explicit photos or videos unless they receive payment, usually in Bitcoin.
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