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From Yahoo News: Gmail users have been warned to lookout for a worrying scam that uses AI to trick people out of their money. The highly sophisticated and ‘devastating’ attacks use the tool to create ‘highly convincing’ voice or video messages.
Reports of the new threat were face made in May last year, with America’s FBI law enforcement agency issuing an alert after spotting a rise in Artificial Intelligence Scams. Some were so serious that victims were left without money and their identity stolen by online crooks.
At the time, FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp said: “Attackers are leveraging AI to craft highly convincing voice or video messages and emails to enable fraud schemes against individuals and businesses alike. These sophisticated tactics can result in devastating financial losses, reputational damage, and compromise of sensitive data.”
Since then, even more people have been targeted. The team at Malwarebytes has now issued new guidance on what to watch out for and how to stay safe.
Malwarebytes explains that the scam often starts with a phone call to users, claiming their Gmail account has been compromised.
The goal is to convince the target to provide the criminals with the user’s Gmail recovery code, claiming it’s needed to restore the account.
Around the same time, users receive legitimate looking emails from what appears to be an authentic Google domain to add credibility to what the caller is claiming to have happened.
With the recovery code, the criminals not only have access to the target’s Gmail but also to a lot of services, which could even result in identity theft.
Below are just some tips provided by Malwarebytes:
- Never click on links or download files from unexpected emails or messages.
- Don’t enter personal information on a website unless you are certain it is legitimate.
- Use a password manager to autofill credentials only on trusted sites.
- Monitor your accounts for signs of unauthorized access or data leaks.
- Verify security alerts by visiting your Google Account page directly instead of using links in emails.
Gmail users given ‘red alert’ warning over ‘devastating’ new scamhttps://t.co/gIgEItiov5 pic.twitter.com/XHZHdxZVdH
— The Sun (@TheSun) February 16, 2025
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