The largest email provider with over 2.5 billion users, Google’s Gmail, blocks 99.9% of spam, phishing emails, and malware.
However, the remaining 0.1% can cause serious problems for users.
The holiday season sees an increase in scam activity every year, and 2024 is no exception.
“Since mid-November, we’ve seen a huge increase in email traffic compared to previous months, making protecting your inbox even more of a challenge than usual,” Google wrote in a blog post.
While scammers are using old tactics and experimenting with new ones, three main scams are dominating the holiday season:
Most Common Scams This Season
- Bill Scams
Fraudsters send fake bills, often requesting a phone call to convince victims to pay. These scams are persistent and widespread.
- Celebrity Scams
Emails that purport to come from celebrities or associate them with a product. The goal is to gain trust through “too good to be true” scenarios.
- Extortion
Victims receive frightening messages with personal details, such as their home address or pictures of their home. These messages contain threats of physical harm or the release of compromising information.
Advanced Cybersecurity from Google
Gmail has strengthened its security with revolutionary AI-based models. The new Large Language Model (LLM) is trained to recognize phishing, malware, and spam, resulting in 20% less spam compared to before.
Last year, security features introduced helped reduce the number of reported scams by 35% in the first month of the holiday season.
Despite technological advances, Google advises users to be vigilant and report suspicious messages.
Four golden rules for protecting against scams
- Slow down
Scams often create a sense of urgency with words like “urgent,” “immediate,” or “unauthorized.”
- Check
Research the email, make sure it makes sense, and pay attention to the sender’s address.
- Don’t send
Reputable individuals or companies will never ask for payments or personal information via email.
- Report
If you see something suspicious, report it to Google.
By following these tips, you can protect yourself from potential scam threats this holiday season.
