Gmail users are being warned of a new and particularly convincing phishing scam. Victims of the scam receive an email claiming to be from Google asking that they click on an image attachment that is disguised as a PDF. The attachment brings the victim to a phony Google login page.
When the victim enters their username/email and password on this page, their login credentials are instantly transmitted to the attacker. The attacker then logs in to the victim’s actual email account and searches through their emails and contacts for any information that may help them commit identity theft. The attacker may reach out to contacts phishing for additional information or in an attempt to perpetuate the scam.
If your email login credentials are compromised, there is a good chance the attacker will also peruse the your inbox looking for places you shop, bank, or makes other payments online and attempt to use the same username and password to gain access. It’s always a good idea to use unique usernames and passwords for all of your online accounts to mitigate your risk should one of the accounts be compromised.
If you feel you have been a victim of this or any other scam that may have put your personal information at risk, please contact us immediately so that we can assist you with protecting your account(s).
