Two days ago, I received an email supposedly from a three-year-ago client of mine. Please have a good look at the screenshot of the email below:

Recalling how we were corresponding before, I was right away suspicious of the email based on the following:

• The use of “BCC”
• There is no introductory message as to what’s the PDF document is all about.
• The use of “Secure Message”, which is grammatically wrong.

So to see where the email would lead, I clicked the link and it brought me to a supposedly Google Docs login page. See the screenshot below:

The moment I read the page, my suspicion was confirmed because:

• My former client won’t ever ask for login details just to share a file. And as a rule, I never share my login details to anyone.
• The use of the old “Google” logo gave away the hacking scheme as Google updated its logo on 1 September.

Also, I’m on heightened alert for Gmail phishing/hacking schemes because I got word from a colleague regarding a similar thing.

Concerned, I contacted my former client asking her about the email and whether her Gmail had been hacked. She has yet to reply.

Well, I hope this warning has added to your awareness even if this is just one of the many malicious schemes being sent to unsuspecting Gmail account holders each day.

For further information on how to keep your Gmail secure, please read more tips here: Gmail Security Checklist.

Take care everyone!