Anyone with a Gmail account has been warned to be on the lookout for a scam email currently in circulation.
The rise of technology has made it easier than ever for criminals to take advantage of people, often sending out harmful communications that look like they are from legitimate companies.
But if a person clicks the link in the phoney emails and inputs their personal data, it can lead to their information being stolen and bank accounts being drained.
Birmingham Live reports that one cybersecurity engineer posted a stark warning on Twitter of just how convincing these email scams can look.
Chris Plummer took to the social media site to share a spoofed email claiming to be from delivery service UPS. And worryingly, the sender of the email had verified they own ups.com and the logo in the profile image.
The scam email reads: "Hi Christopher, your package is arriving today. From RUNNING WAREHOUSE. Scheduled Delivery." An image of a real UPS email, with a legitimate verification badge, has also been shared.
"There is most certainly a bug in Gmail being exploited by scammers to pull this off," Plummer wrote. "The sender found a way to dupe @gmail’s authoritative stamp of approval, which end users are going to trust. u live in - check yours now. This message went from a Facebook account, to a UK netblock, to O365, to me. Nothing about this is legit."
Google's security team is reportedly taking a a "closer look" at the scam.
On the Gmail website, it warned: "Phishing is an attempt to steal personal information or break into online accounts using deceptive emails, messages, ads or sites that look similar to sites you already use. For example, a phishing email may look as though it's from your bank and request private information about your bank account."
These messages are likely to ask you for information such as your bank details, and invite you to click on links or download software.
They're designed to look like they're from trusted organisations, or even someone you know, like a friend or family member.
The scam emails - which can trick anybody, according to experts - look exactly like a message from an organisation or person you trust.
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