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Mar 6, 2024 · You can report scam emails by forwarding them to report@phishing.gov.uk. If you've fallen victim 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.
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By Cesar Cadenas
published 2 June 2023
Scammers found exploiting a Gmail bug to phish users
(Image credit: Stephen Phillips/Unsplash)
There’s a new Gmail scam making the rounds online as bad actors are taking advantage of the service’s recently launched verification system.
Identifying the fake email was easy enough to do. Plummer shows the header sporting an email address consisting of mostly random letters and numbers ending in a UPS URL. However, hovering over the checkmark displays a window stating the message is coming from a legitimate source.
It’s unknown how the bad actor got around the security checks. Plummer claims there’s a bug in Gmail that scammers are exploiting to trick the platform’s “authoritative stamp of approval”. From there, the bad actors hop through multiple domains before zeroing in on their target.
Since we don’t know when the patch will roll out, it makes sense to protect yourself until then. TechRadar has a couple of guides on how to avoid online phishing scams and how to protect your inbox. We strongly recommend reading both to get a full understanding, but here are some pieces of advice to get you started.
First, double-check the header. If you see a bunch of random letters, numbers, and symbols in the email address, that’s your first clue that something is fishy.
Secondly, double-check the spelling in the header. Some scammers will replace certain characters with a lookalike to trick people. For example, the letter “O” will be replaced with the number “0” or the capital “I” with a lowercase “l” (that's an "L"). Gmail’s default font can make this tough to discern.
Be wary of any emails urging you to share your financial information, whether updating your account details or a refund offer you didn’t ask for.
Of course, don’t click on any links or attachments you don’t recognize.
Also, be sure to check out TechRadar’s list of the best identity theft protection apps for June 2023 to better safeguard your personal details.
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Follow our top tips to spot and avoid falling for an email scam. 1. Check the sender's email address. A scam email will usually come from an unrecognisable email address. This may consist of random numbers, letters or words that have nothing to do with the organisation the scammer is impersonating.
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Jan 17, 2024 · If you've suddenly won some sweepstakes you never entered, or a relative you've never heard of has died and left you a hefty inheritance, it could be a phishing email. These cybercriminals will try to convince you to provide them with certain information to access the money or claim a prize.
