"Closing And Deleting Of Your Google Account in Progress" Phishing Scam
Google users who have received the email message below, which claims that the closing and deleting of their accounts are in progress, should delete it. The fake email message is a phishing scam being sent by cyber criminals to frighten and trick Google users into clicking on a link in it, which goes to a phishing website that steals Google and other online account credentials (usernames and passwords).
The Phishing Google Account Email Message
From: Update Info - office@sureintl.com
Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2017 3:38 AM
To: noreply@hotmail.com
Subject: Closing And Deleting Of Your Google Account In Progress
Hotmail
Hi
We contacted you to let you know we will close & delete your Account! now
We would like to give you our final notice today before closing this email account.
Kindly visit your account below to cancel this unknown request
VISIT YOUR ACCOUNT DASHBOARD & CANCEL REQUEST
Thank you
Account team Inc © 2017
The link in the email message goes to phishing website looking exactly like Google's. On the website, visitors will be asked to sign-in, but any attempts to sign-in will result in their credentials being sent to the cybercriminals behind the phishing scam. Once the cybercriminals have received the stolen credentials, they will gain access to the accounts, hijack and use them fraudulently.
Google users who have already been tricked by the phishing email message are asked to change their Google account password immediately before their accounts are hijacked and used fraudulently by cybercriminals.
This is why Google users should never click on links in email messages to sign into their accounts. They should always go directly to https://accounts.google.com/ and sign-in from there. Once they have signed into their accounts, they will be notified of changes or updates that need to be done to their accounts, if there is any.
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Note: Some of the information in samples on this website may have been impersonated or spoofed.