GOOGLE users have been warned to never ignore an important Gmail notification that could signal a scam.
In the hopes of combating scams and malware, Google administers warnings whenever someone receives a suspicious-looking email.
Malware is a malicious file or code that can infect your phone or computer.
These dangerous files can attack your device using different methods and typically hope to steal sensitive information.
They can also monitor and record your device’s activity without your knowledge.
Malware detection is turned on by default on Google Chrome, and because of this, users may receive messages alerting them to dangerous emails.
If Gmail deems a message in your inbox potentially dangerous, it will read, “This message could be a scam.”
You’ll typically see this warning above any email that looks like a scam but comes from an address in your Gmail contacts list.
There are two steps to take if you see this warning: Investigate and determine if it’s safe.
“If the email has suspicious links or asks you to do unusual things like send money or personal information, the message may be a scam sent without permission from your contact’s email account,” Google notes on its webpage.
In this instance, don’t reply to the email or click on any of the attached links.
You can also report the email to Google by clicking “Report this suspicious message.”
The message will be marked as “sent from a compromised account,” and will notify the Gmail team.
“This helps protect the sender’s account from abuse. You’ll still get messages from them in the future,” Google added.
Lastly, if the suspicious email came from a trustworthy person, inform them about the message (but not over email).
You can recommend that they go through these Gmail Security Tips.
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If you’re sure the message is not a scam, click Looks Safe or Ignore, I trust this message.
You can assess if an email is a scam by its contents, including spelling and grammar, the tone of the message, and attachments.
Below we have shared some red flags to watch out for that indicate an email is a scam, regardless if it’s from a contact.
There are a few sentences in emails that can indicate it’s a scam, according to cybersecurity firm McAfee:
Most scammers will employ a sense of urgency to get you to send over money or information.
Bad actors know that victims who feel pressure tend to act less rationally when making decisions.
Moreover, legitimate entities will never ask you to send money or banking information on the spot.
Instead, they will give you information and a specific time frame to act
