This New Gmail Scam Looks Like It Came From Google–but It Didn’t
1 min read
Summary
A new scam has emerged that sees hackers sending fake Google account security emails to users in a bid to extract personal details from them.
The method presents a particularly menacing threat as the email apparently originates from a legitimate Google website, thereby not triggering any alarm bells with Gmail.
The email claims that Google has received a subpoena requiring it to disclose copies of the recipient’s account details.
This prompts users to access a fake support page that is hosted on Google Sites, a legitimate Google service that allows users to create their own websites.
The page has the legitimate Google domain, but the page’s URL gives it away, however, as it will not be hosted on the standard sign-in domain of accounts.google.com.
Furthermore, the email header shows that the email was sent from a private email account.
Until Google addresses the issue, users are advised to check the headers and text in the emails they receive for anything suspicious.
