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.

According to the New York Post, Y Combinator founder Garry Tan shared his experience on X (formerly Twitter) after receiving phishing emails and phone calls.

"They claim to be checking that you are alive and that they should disregard a death certificate filed that claims a family member is recovering your account," Tan wrote, calling it an elaborate scheme to manipulate users into approving password recovery.

Microsoft solutions consultant Sam Mitrovic also encountered this scam months ago. Initially, he ignored the recovery notification and follow-up call, but when it happened again, he decided to answer.

"It's an American voice, very polite and professional. The number is Australian," Mitrovic recalled. He even verified the number on an official Google support page, making the deception more convincing. 

The caller alleged there was suspicious activity on his account and asked if he had logged in from Germany. When he denied it, the agent claimed someone had been accessing his account for a week and offered to help secure it. Mitrovic realized something was off when he spotted a suspicious email address in the follow-up message and stopped responding.

Forbes advises Gmail users to remain calm and immediately disconnect any call from so-called Google support, as Google does not contact users via phone. Instead, users should verify account activity themselves:

With cyber threats evolving rapidly, vigilance is key to safeguarding online accounts.