Account Protection

A New Google Scam Looks Real — Here’s How to Spot It and Avoid Getting Tricked If you use Gmail, Google Drive, or any Google service, you may soon receive an email or see a pop-up that looks exactly like an official Google message. It will ask you to verify your account, re-enter your password, or click a link to resolve a security issue. The design will be convincing. The logo will be correct. And that’s the problem — the message is a fake. ...

How to Spot the New Google Scam That Looks Real — and What to Do If You See It A convincing new scam targeting Google users is making the rounds. It shows up as an official-looking alert about a problem with your account, often including a phone number to call or a link to click. The design mimics Google’s real notifications so closely that even careful users might hesitate. Here’s what we know about how it works, why it’s effective, and what you can do to protect yourself. ...

How to Spot Social Media Scams: A Practical Guide to Avoid Losing Money Online Fraud is moving to the platforms you use every day. According to recent reports, social media scams now account for billions of dollars in losses each year in the United States. The convenience of connecting with friends, browsing products, and discovering new opportunities has also opened the door for scammers to target ordinary users. ...

Social media scams are surging: How to protect yourself from fraud Americans lost billions to social media scams last year, according to recent reporting from ConsumerAffairs. Fraudsters are increasingly moving from email and phone calls to platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, where they can create fake profiles, hack trusted accounts, and reach millions of people with minimal effort. If you use social media, you’ve probably already seen the signs—a too-good-to-be-true listing for a new iPhone, a sudden message from a “friend” asking for money, or an ad promising quick cash. Learning to recognize these tactics is the best way to keep your money and identity safe. ...

Is That Chrome Extension Safe? How “Productivity Tools” Turn Into Backdoors You download a note-taking extension because it looks clean, has good reviews, and promises to save you time. A week later, your email account is used to send spam, or worse, someone logs into your bank. This isn’t a hypothetical scenario. Over the past year, security researchers have documented dozens of Chrome extensions that started as harmless utilities and later turned into data-stealing backdoors. ...

How to Spot the Latest Google Scam That Looks Legitimate A new phishing campaign impersonating Google has been making the rounds, and it’s unusually convincing. Victims receive emails or pop-ups that appear to come directly from Google, complete with official logos and messages about account suspension. If you click the link, you’re taken to a login page that looks identical to the real thing—but every credential you type goes straight to scammers. ...

Don’t Fall for This Convincing Google Scam: What to Watch For Scammers have gotten better at copying Google’s official pages, and a new wave of these fakes is circulating right now. They look nearly identical to real login screens and security alerts, which makes them particularly dangerous for anyone who uses Gmail, Google Drive, Google Ads, or other services. ...

This New Google Phishing Scam Looks Real – How to Spot It and Stay Safe A convincing new phishing campaign is making the rounds, designed to look exactly like a legitimate Google security alert. If you receive an unexpected notification claiming unusual activity on your account, it’s worth pausing before clicking anything. ...

Are Your Chrome Extensions Safe? How to Spot Malicious Productivity Tools You probably have a handful of Chrome extensions installed: one for grammar checking, another for note-taking, maybe a password manager or a tab manager. They seem harmless, even essential. But right now, some of those extensions could be silently reading your emails, copying your passwords, or transmitting your browsing history to a server you’ve never heard of. ...

How to Spot a Malicious Chrome Extension: Protect Your Accounts and Data Browser extensions promise convenience: grammar checkers, tab managers, coupon finders, screenshot tools. Over the past few years, however, security researchers have documented a growing trend in which seemingly harmless productivity extensions are being used as backdoors into corporate networks and personal accounts. In March 2026, Security Boulevard reported on the “Chrome Extension Backdoor” phenomenon, detailing how attackers compromise legitimate extensions or create fake ones that eventually steal credentials, exfiltrate data, or bypass two-factor authentication. Separately, the FBI began investigating a breach of its own surveillance system that investigators believe may have involved malicious extensions. While these incidents target large enterprises, the same tactics affect everyday users. ...