Britons have been warned of a new “convincing” Gmail scam circulating, which could pose a serious threat to account security. According to consumer champion Which?, fraudsters have impersonated Google by ‘spoofing’ a Google email address and support page in a new phishing email, tricking unwitting Gmail users into handing over personal information.
Disguised as a genuine message from [email protected] and titled “Security alert,” the email claims the recipient has been served a subpoena – a formal court order – demanding access to their Google account content. A link to a supposed “Google support case” urges users to view or challenge the order.
The site it leads to mimics a real Google support page using a sites.google.com address, asking users to log in and review their case.
From there, Which?’s Tali Ramsey said: “It’s unclear where the scam goes.
“It will most likely lead to malware being downloaded to your device or you being pressured to enter your personal and financial data, giving it over to the scammers.”
Google said it has shut down the mechanism attackers were using to send the emails, and stressed it will never ask for account credentials – including passwords, one-time passwords, push notifications or phone confirmations.
A spokesperson told Which?: “We’re aware of this class of targeted attack from this threat actor and have rolled out protections to shut down this avenue for abuse.
“In the meantime, we encourage users to adopt two-factor authentication and passkeys, which provide strong protection against these kinds of phishing campaigns.”
If you suspect you’ve been targeted by a scam, report it to Action Fraud here.
