Google is making it easier for Android users to detect phishing scams in Gmail.
Now, instead of having to rely solely on your spidey senses, Gmail tell you when something’s awry. Gmail Phishing Warning on AndroidIf you click on a suspicious link in an email, Gmail will display a warning message before you’re redirected to a potentially malicious site.
“Warning – phishing (web forgery) suspected,” the message will read. “The site you are trying to visit has been identified as a forgery intended to trick you into disclosing financial, personal or other sensitive information.”
Recipients are then warned that they can continue on to the questionable site “at your own risk.” There’s also a link at the bottom of the message that lets you flag the report if you believe Google incorrectly labeled the site as nefarious.
“While not all affected email will necessarily be dangerous, we encourage you to be extra careful about clicking on links in messages that you’re not sure about,” Google wrote. “And with this update, you’ll have another tool to make these kinds of decisions.”
The new feature is rolling out to all Android users over the next few days.
This comes after online miscreants yesterday launched a large phishing attack targeting Google accounts. The fraudulent emails included what appeared to be a Google Docs link from someone the recipient knew. Clicking that link took users to a Google page that asked them to grant access to an app masquerading as Google Docs. Granting permission reportedly gave the attacker full access to a victim’s email messages and contacts. Google said it shut down the attack, which affected “fewer than 0.1 percent” of Gmail users, within an hour.
Meanwhile, attackers in January targeted Gmail users with a sophisticated ploy designed to steal usernames and passwords.