Be Aware of This Subtly Deceitful Google Forms Scam Scheme
Rewritten Article:
Phishing has become a sneaky game, with cybercriminals leveraging trusted domains to deceive people into giving away their personal and financial details. In the recent past, these scoundrels have utilized settings of both Google and PayPal to pull off phishing schemes, making them harder to distinguish from the real deal.
One of their latest tactics involves using Google Forms and requesting sensitive data.
How Google Forms Can Be Used to Steal Your Data
Google Forms and phishing aren’t unfamiliar bedfellows. As a security report from ESET Security highlights, these free, easily accessible, and trusted forms make an excellent choice for scammers due to their low-risk, high-reward nature. They're also encrypted, using TLS, and feature dynamic URLs that make it less likely that they will be flagged as malicious.
Google Forms phishing schemes range from stealing login credentials or banking details to redirecting you to fraudulent websites that install malware on your device.
In a sophisticated case targeting higher education institutions, attackers sent links to Google Forms that resembled legitimate university communications, complete with school names, logos, and color schemes. These forms aimed to trick recipients into providing logins for university accounts and, in some cases, financial institution details in the guise of updating accounts or distributing aid.
Scammers strategically timed these attacks around important dates in the academic calendar, such as financial aid deadlines, when recipients had numerous administrative tasks to complete and were less likely to notice red flags. Although Google eventually removed all the harmful forms, Stanford University's Information Security Office issued an alert on April 23, warning of a similar phishing campaign designed to steal passwords and Duo passcodes for university network accounts.
The phishing attempt started with Stanford-branded Google Forms hosted on legitimate Google domains (*.google.com), with valid SSL certificates, and appearing to come from genuine Google email addresses. The forms even included familiar names like "[Name] shared a document," making them seem legitimate. Surprisingly, these forms were able to slip past email malware detection.
To prevent falling victim to phishing attacks using Google Forms, here's how to stay vigilant:
How to Avoid Phishing Attacks Using Google Forms
Always exercise a critical mindset when dealing with Google Forms. Refrain from opening forms sent without your knowledge, and never submit sensitive information such as login credentials, bank account numbers, etc., via Google Forms (Google warns against this in the form itself). No reputable institution would ask for this type of data via Google Forms, and if the request is uncertain, don't hesitate to contact the organization directly to confirm.
While not all Google Forms phishing campaigns will appear as sophisticated as those targeting higher education, look for anomalies such as misspellings, grammatical errors, and strange salutations (for instance, "Hello, Dear!").
If you believe you have unintentionally entered sensitive information through Google Forms, change your passwords, freeze your credit cards, and keep a close eye on your accounts and credit report to spot any irregularities. You should also watch out for malware signs on your computer and eliminate it swiftly, whether you're using a Mac or PC.
- Be cautious when receiving Google Forms, especially requests for sensitive data like login credentials or bank details, as cybercriminals have exploited these forms in phishing scams.
- In the realm of education-and-self-development, it's crucial to remain vigilant against technology-driven scams, such as Google Forms phishing, to safeguard your money and personal information from cybersecurity threats.
