If you’re a Gmail user, you may want to update your security settings and exercise some caution when using free Wi-Fi. A recent email scam is now going around targeting those with Gmail accounts.
Sam Segran, Texas Tech University’s Chief Information Officer, says he was notified of the scam last week and wants to urge the TTU and Lubbock community to protect themselves against it.
It works by sending emails using the address of someone the recipient already knows. Within the email, there’s typically an attachment such as photo. Once the attachment is clicked on, the user is taken to a fake Google log in page. The moment you’re signed into that page is when you’re hacked.
“One of the things to remember, people in West Texas are trusting souls, a lot of people here are very trusting, and generally those are targets people who just think it’s coming from a friend, so they need to be a little bit more careful,” said Segran.
Segran did outline a list of ways to better protect yourself against this scam if you are a Gmail user:
– Make sure that “https” is visible at the far left of the address bar, placed right in front of the web link. That’s how you know the link is secure. A huge indicator of this current scam is that hackers have been placing it in the middle of the web link.
– Segran advises to update your system as well as your apps.
– Enable two-factor authentication for your Google account. This will help prevent outside sources from accessing your Gmail account.
