New scams are currently targeting the many users of Gmail and Google Drive! Combining phishing emails and fraudulent calls using a vocal AI, they are formidable.
Google is a target of choice for cybercriminals. This is the case for Gmail, which represents an all -designated entry door to seize the mountains of personal data from its 2.5 billion users. But also for Google Drive, the Google cloud service which allows each user of a Gmail address, and therefore Google account, to automatically benefit from a free online storage space. And it is precisely these two popular services that are currently prey of crooks through several very well -crafted scams. More than ever, caution is in order!
Gmail scam: a mixture of AI and fraudulent emails
As reported The Internet usera fraud that has existed since 2024 is currently experiencing a strong renewed popularity. It allows cybercriminals to take total control of the victim’s electronic messaging. It all starts when a person contacts the target via a phone call. He presents himself as a technician from Google and makes him believe that the security of his account is compromised.
In reality, it is by no means a technician, but an AI capable of discussing in real time in a natural language, adapting perfectly to the responses of his interlocutor. We can however identify certain slowness or an unusual rhythm in his voice. Shortly after, the victim received one or more emails that claim that the mailbox was hacked. As always with phishing campaigns, they contain malicious ties intended to recover personal information, identifiers and passwords.
Another scam also strikes Gmail users. This time, the pirates pretend to be Google Drive, through an email which claims that user’s cloud storage is full and that it is imperative to go to the checkout to avoid losing everything (photos, videos, contacts, files, private data …). In itself, this is not wrong. Google Drive indeed offers 15 GB of free storage space, shared between Google Drive, Gmail and Google Photos. Suffice to say that we can quickly reach the limit (and that’s the goal). You must then subscribe to a Google One subscription at € 1.99 per month to push the limit to 100 GB.
The fraudulent email mentions a loyalty program that allows “Receive an additional 50 GB of storage by making a single payment of € 1.99 before your files, media and private data are deleted”. He specifies that this is a “Special offer in 4:50 minutes”just to accentuate the pressure a little, all accompanied by a huge button “Reply”..
This phishing campaign is formidable, because it takes up all the usual communication codes of Google, whether in terms of aesthetics or content, because the company often warns its users that their account storage is almost full. On the other hand, it does not indicate that you have to go to the paid option. And, above all, the user has no reason to lose their content.
Google scams: regular phishing campaigns
To thwart cybercriminals, it is essential to always look at the email addresses of sender, which generally have nothing to do with Google. But it is not systematic, it happens that the pirates use an address very close to a Google address, and there, it is more difficult to detect the deception. Also, the best is never to click on links or open attachments of unlined emails.
If you are the target of an online or SMS scam, immediately transfer the message to SIGAL SIGAL, Pharosor directly at 33,700the platform specializing in the reporting of scams. You can also report these fraudulent messages to the site Internet- Signally.gouv.fr. Then block the sender number to no longer be brought up and delete the message in question.