Which? have reported that there is a convincing new Gmail scam doing the rounds. Scammers are impersonating Google by making up a Google email address and support page in what is described as a convincing and widespread scam.
It is known as spoofing; when scammers disguise themselves by using a genuine email address and phone number, making it difficult to spot a scam unless you know what to look for.
Gmail scam
This scam says that Google was served a subpoena requiring them to produce a copy of your Google account content. The message appears to be sent from a Google email address – no-reply@google.com – under a familiar heading of security alert. The e-mail explains that you have been served a subpoena, which is a formal court order, to grant Google permission to produce a copy of your Google account content. While it’s not clear exactly where the scam goes after that it will more slightly lead to malware being downloaded onto your laptop pc, or other device or you being pressured to enter your financial and personal do that over to the scammers.
To protect yourself Which? say you should do the following:
“Examine email headers – on Gmail, clicking on the arrow next to ‘me’ under the sender can show you the full email address that the email has been sent from.
Hover over links to see if any of them could be suspicious. Pay attention to spelling errors or website addresses that don’t quite match that of the organisation it claims to be affiliated with. The domain information checker Who.is will show you when the website was created – if the site was created recently, then it’s likely to be dodgy.
Be suspicious of emails trying to rush, pressure or scare you into doing something.
Make sure you never click on links if you’re suspicious about the email. You can report email scams by forwarding the email to report@phishing.gov.uk. You can also report emails to your email provider – select the ‘Report Spam’ on Gmail.
If you lose any money to a scam, call your bank immediately using the number on the back of your bank card and report it to Action Fraud, or call the police on 101 if you’re in Scotland.”
It was reported in the Mirror on 20th April that, “the new alert was first raised by developer Nick Johnson, who says he was hit by an “extremely sophisticated” phishing attack which looked incredibly real.
The message suggested that a legal subpoena had been issued and a copy of his Google account content needed to be produced.
It might sound a little far-fetched, but what makes things most concerning is that the address the message came from was a valid Google account”.
Five things to never do when banking online
Which? have also reported five things that you should never do, when banking online:
1. Never use an unsupported device for banking. If your mobile phone PC or tablet is no longer receiving security updates don’t use it for banking.
2. Never download an app outside of an official App Store. Stick to your official phone App Store if you want to install any new app. If you install an app from an alternative source this puts you at much greater risk of malware privacy violations.
3. Never give remote access to an unsolicited caller. IT professionals use tools such as AnyDesk, LogMeIn and TeamViewer (or its QuickSupport app) to fix problems from afar.
4. Never trust caller ID. The call or text may appear to be from ‘Barclays’ or some other bank or genuine organisation, but there is no guarantee that it’s not really a scammer using software to mimic an official phone number or sender ID.
5. Never use the same pin or password twice. Don’t be tempted to use the same pin or password twice with online accounts because even if a scammer is able to steal your username and password there is still need to pass an additional security check to get in.
If you come across a scam you can alert others by using this scam sharer tool linked here. If you think you are the victim of a fraud see here. You can also report fraud via the Action Fraud online fraud reporting tool, or by calling Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040. If there is a crime being committed right now or if you are in danger, you should call the police on 999.
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