Email is widely used by users in their day to day, both personally and business level. This also makes it possible for hackers to launch many attack campaigns to steal information or compromise systems. In this article we echo a new threat, a new strategy, which seeks to steal Gmail accounts . We are going to give some tips to avoid being victims.
A new campaign seeks to steal Gmail accounts
It is a scam on Craigslist , a popular online shopping site. However, it is a problem that affects other sites, with similar techniques. It basically consists of restoring the account through the data that they have previously collected.
Hackers collect information such as username, email, or even phone number. In this way they try to reset the Gmail password. But of course, for this to take effect, it is necessary to receive a code via SMS or another email account to confirm that we are really legitimate users.
That’s where the next point of this scam comes into play. What the attackers do is contact the victim where they indicate that they need to verify that they are legitimate users. For example the case of Craigslist, although it can occur on other Internet platforms.
The strategy is to tell them that they need to verify their username . They need to know if they really are legitimate or not. In this way they make them believe that the SMS they are going to receive with a code is to verify their account on that platform and that they know that they are real users. But of course, the message they receive is the verification code to reset the Gmail password.
In the event that a user falls for this trap and delivers that verification code , the attacker could take full control of the Gmail account. At the end of the day it will generate a new password and be able to enter without any problem in that e-mail. They could have access to all the services where they have registered, private messages, etc.
How to avoid being victims of these types of problems
An essential aspect is not to make our e-mail, name or telephone number public on the Internet. In this way, we will not facilitate the task of possible cybercriminals who want to steal our information and have access to the accounts.
In the same way, common sense will be very important when using email. We should never click on links that come to us without knowing the origin, as well as download files that may be malware. Nor should we give any kind of verification code to any supposed company or program.
On the other hand, it is always advisable to have security tools on our equipment. A good antivirus can prevent the entry of malware that could compromise us. In the same way, we advise keeping the systems updated. This will correct possible problems that may arise. We leave you a tutorial with tips to maintain privacy on the Internet.