It was revealed that 10,000+ Hotmail accounts were compromised and all of the usernames and passwords of these accounts were posted online. It was a major security and scam issue, but it was thought to only affect Hotmail users.
Unfortunately, Hotmail was only the beginning. Google has now confirmed that thousands of Gmail accounts were compromised by an “industry-wide phishing scheme.” According to the BBC, the login data of over 30,000 Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, Comcast, and Earthlink accounts have been posted online.
Phishing attacks are designed to steal your password. Here are the signs that it’s not real:
1. Google, Yahoo or Microsoft won’t ask you for your password in an email. No legitimate company will. Ever. Don’t give your password to anyone via email.
2. Even if it contained a link to a Google, Hotmail, Yahoo-looking site that asked for your password, I would be skeptical. There are some phishing sites that look very convincing.
3. It doesn’t make sense. Google, Yahoo, AOL or Microsoft has a ton of data storage capacity, they won’t be running out of space or asking your password.
Related: 10 tips to stay safe on twitter!
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