Google Awords E-mail Scam

[Cactus_Robyn]

You may have received or heard about a 'spoofing' email sent to some AdWords advertisers recently. Please do not respond to these emails nor access any of the links listed in the emails.

"Spoofing" refers to the act of fraudulently altering certain properties of an email to make it appear as though it originated from a legitimate source. The email can then lead to a deceptive website which collects sensitive personal information. In this case, the email may have appeared to be from Google AdWords, asking for account login information.

Google is very committed to ensuring the safety and security of users and advertisers, and issues of fraud are taken very seriously. Google is actively working to investigate the sources of the recent spoofing emails and is taking the appropriate actions on them. However, please note that while Google tries to be as diligent as possible, they are not responsible for nor are they able to monitor the actions of other parties.

Google has dedicated a number of resources towards preventative measures, such as the Google Safe Browsing extension for Firefox. You can find more information about this feature at Google Safe Browsing for Firefox.

In addition, following are some steps you can take to ensure the security of your account:

* Be wary of unsolicited messages. Google will never send unsolicited messages asking for your password or other sensitive information. If you need to change your account information, such as your billing details or your password, and if you are a current Solid Cactus PPC client, report suspicious messages to your account manager; if you are managing PPC on your own, contact Google directly at 866-246-6453. Try not to click on the links in these messages.

* Check the message headers. The 'From:' address and the 'Return-path' should reference the same source.

* Make sure the URL is legitimate. The AdWords homepage URL will always be https://adwords.google.com. For example, by right clicking and accessing the Properties page for the link listed in the example email, you may find that the link actually leads to a URL such as adwords.google.com.gjt84.cn/select/Login/.

* Change your Google Account password frequently. To learn how, visit https://adwords.google.com/support/b...y?answer=24828.

* If you are a current Solid Cactus PPC client, report suspicious messages to your account manager; if you are managing PPC on your own, report suspicious messages to adwords-charge@google.com.

* Keep your computer's antivirus and spyware protections up to date and regularly run system scans.

[nightstalker2217]

before this , it was Amazon

[cactus_jeanl]

Google posted an update on phishing & web safety today in the main Google blog. Due to the recent phishing emails many Adwords users are receiving, they linked to it in the Adwords blog as well. I thought it might be good to pass a link along here:

Official Google Blog: How to avoid getting hooked