Scammers continue to come up with new ways to pull one over on unsuspecting victims. One of the latest Gmail scams that is now making the rounds starts like many other scams do — by getting a call from a suspicious number.
According to reports from news sites like Local 12, Gmail users have reported receiving phone calls from people claiming to work for Google, complete with a caller ID that says the same. Once they have the users on the line, the caller informs them that the their Google account has been compromised in some way.
The scammers then offer to send a code or reset link to the user’s phone, claiming that it will reset the compromised account. Many times, these links can even mimic the actual links you might receive from one of these technology companies when dealing with account issues. But you shouldn’t trust them, because once you click on them and sign in, you’ll have given the scammers open access to your Gmail account. We’ve seen similar attempts to access consumer accounts being used across Apple devices, too.
Google is unlikely to ever call you
The scam here relies on the fact that many people won’t be immediately suspicious if a company like Google is supposedly trying to call them directly. And while you can link your phone number to your Gmail account, the chances that Google will ever actually call you about anything are slim to none. Instead, the system will usually rely on automated processes like emails or text messages. But, even then, you should be mindful of the links you trust, as scammers are always looking for unsuspecting clicks to get them access to your account.
Instead of humoring unsolicited calls like this, cybersecurity experts say you should just hang up and not click on any unsolicited external links that are sent to you. Additionally, you can always make use of Google’s advanced account protection features and utilize two-factor authentication settings or apps to help keep your account even more secure. Google has been making two-factor authentication easy to setup for years now, and there’s no reason you shouldn’t have your account secure already.
One cybersecurity expert made an especially helpful point: Try calling Google or Microsoft and getting a human on the phone. It’s next to impossible, and typically requires speaking to multiple robots first. If it’s that hard to get in touch with a real person when you actually want to speak to someone, what are the chances Google, or any other tech company, is reaching out to speak to you in person? Zero.
