Gmail warns users to secure accounts after ‘malicious’ ai -hack confirmed

Sophisticated scams driven by artificial intelligence threaten the security of billions of Gmail users. issued security warning

Since AI-driven phone calls that mimic human voices have become incredibly realistic, a new report from Forbes warned that the E -Mail service’s 2.5 billion users could be targeted by “malicious” actors hiring AI to dupe customers to transfer credentials.

Outlet reported that the cyber criminals are implementing phone calls posing as Google Support – complete with a call -ID that looks convincingly legitimate. The technician may say that the person’s account has been compromised in some way or that they are trying an account extraction.

The so-called support agent then sends an email to the user’s Gmail account from what appears to be a legitimate Google email address to confirm the account, was compromised and receive a code to recover the account.

For Zach Latta, the founder of Hack Club, this is where he stopped the detailed scam.

“She sounded like a real engineer, the connection was super clear and she had an American accent,” Latta told Forbes.

Despite how real the voice at the other end of the line sound, it is though A scheme to trick customers to transfer precious login information to access their accounts.

Garry Tan, the founder of the Venture Capital Firm Y Combinator, issued a “public service -message” On x After receiving convincing phishing -e emails and phone calls.

“They claim to check that you are alive and that they should disregard a death certificate that claims that a family member is recovering your account,” he wrote. “It’s a pretty detailed plow to get you to give access to password recovery.”

Simiarly, Sam Mitrovic, a Microsoft Solutions consultant, experienced the same phenomenon months ago, according to A blog post written at the time.

He remembered that he received a restoration of the restore of Google Account, followed less than an hour later with a phone call that looked like it was from the tech company, but he ignored it. A week later it happened again. This time he picked up.

“It’s an American voice, very polite and professional. The number is Australian, ”he said, adding that he confirmed the phone number on an official Google Support page.

“He introduces himself and says there is suspicious activity in my account. He asks if I travel when I said no, he asks if I logged in from Germany, which I answer no. “

Then the agent informs Mitrovic that “someone has had access to my account for a week” and offered to help him secure it, but fortunately he noticed that the follow-up e-mail sent by the one who calls was a counterfeit e-mail address and stopped responding.

“The caller said” hello “, I then ignored it approx. 10 seconds later, “hello” said again, “he described. “At this point, I released it as an AI voice when the pronunciation and distance were too perfect.”

After double control of his log-in sessions in his Google Account Settings, he saw that the only log-ins were his own.

“Despite many red flags upon closer examination, this call seemed legitimate enough to trick many people,” he warned.

“The wind winds are becoming increasingly sophisticated, more convincing, and is inserted on a ever -larger scale.”

To protect yourself and your accounts from malicious actors advised forbes that turned on “Advanced protection“As according to a Google spokesman” takes extra steps to verify your identity “with the use of Paskers and smart keys to keep your account secure even if hackers have your credentials.