Google+ Scam

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Google+ Scam

It claims that the team is running a 'spam and fraudulent verification survey' and asks users to click a link to participate. It warns that if the verification survey is 'not gotten' within 24 hours, the team will assume that the recipient is a 'fraulent user' and his or her email account will be shut down.

The first sign that this is a scam email is the poor spelling and strange grammar. Another indicator would be that common sense would indicate that staff at Google+ would not be responsible for overseeing email security measures. Nor would they have the power to shut down email accounts. Maybe the scammers meant to specify 'Gmail' instead of 'Google+'.

If you click on the link it opens a website that simply requests users to login with their Google email address and password, supposedly to complete the verification process.

The login details will be collected by criminals and used to hijack the Google accounts belonging to the victims. The one set of login credentials can be used to access many different Google services. Thus, the criminals may be able to steal private information stored in various Google applications as well as use Gmail and Google+ accounts to launch further spam and scam campaigns.

Phishing scammers often try to trick users into submitting login details and other personal information by claiming that account details must be verified to improve security. Be wary of any unsolicited email that claims that you must click a link to verify or update your account or risk account suspension.

If you get one of these messages, do not click any links or open any attachments that it contains.

If you believe you have been a victim of this type of scam you should promptly report it to the IC3's website at www.IC3.gov. The IC3's complaint database links complaints together to refer them to the appropriate law enforcement agency for case consideration.

Remember - always watch for scams!

Steve