Gmail attacked by phishing scam

Hackers are having great success in reeling in people’s personal details via phishing emails, and now Google have been caught in the net. Rosie Khdir reveals the new wave of spam attacks on our email.

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More than 30,000 emails and passwords have been posted online after a phishing scam was launched against industry giants worldwide.

Google has revealed that some of its user’s login details have been stolen, apparently not through a breach of Gmail security, but by luring them using spam emails. A Google spokesperson confirmed the attack on the email system to BBC news and stated:

“As soon as we learned of the attack, we forced password resets on the affected accounts. We will continue to force password resets on additional accounts when we become aware of them.”

Gmail was not the only email provider to be targeted. Hotmail users also suffered recently as 10,000 passwords and usernames were posted on the website Pastebin.com, a site where programmers share codes. A second list of names was then published containing addresses from Yahoo, Hotmail, AOL and Gmail as well as other service providers, indicating that the problem may be industry-wide.

Some of the details listed were old or fake but Gmail and Hotmail were both able to confirm that some of the addresses listed were still active.

It is unknown whether the attack on Hotmail and the production of this second list are linked but all users are being cautioned and advised to change their passwords immediately. It is also recommended that people change their passwords, if they are the same, on any other websites.

The guidance is the same as ever concerning spam and phishing problems. Be vigilant, do not open emails from unknown senders, never enter personal details on suspicious looking sites and install and regularly update anti-virus software.

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Image Credit: Spencer E Holtaway