Gmail Confirms AI Hack: 2.5 Billion Users Warned of Phishing Scam

Gmail has issued a warning to its 2.5 billion users about a sophisticated AI-powered phishing attack. Fraudsters are using caller IDs that seem to originate from Google support, convincing users that their accounts have been compromised. Under the pretense of an account recovery process, they send an email with a recovery code that appears to come from a genuine Gmail address, Forbes reports.

Zach Latta, founder of Hack Club, noticed irregularities during an interaction with a so-called Google support agent. “She sounded like a real engineer, the connection was super clear, and she had an American accent,” Latta told Forbes. Despite the convincing approach, the scam’s goal is to deceive users into providing their login credentials, allowing cybercriminals to take control of their accounts.

Spencer Starkey, Vice President at SonicWall, emphasized the evolving nature of cyber threats: “Cybercriminals are constantly developing new tactics, techniques, and procedures to exploit vulnerabilities and bypass security controls, and companies must be able to quickly adapt and respond to these threats.” He advised businesses to adopt a proactive cybersecurity approach, including regular security assessments and incident response planning.