Gmail user? Beware! This nasty mail scam is DANGEROUS; just don't do this

Gmail users are being targetted by this nasty new mail scam that has been termed as ‘Vishing.’ A team at Kaspersky says there's been an influx of rogue emails being pushed into gmail account holders inboxes.

This way of getting Gmail account holders to dial a phone number vis an email has proved very effective for cyber thieves to dupe innocent people on the Internet.

There is a new email scam that is hitting Gmail account holders where it hurts. These innocent users have been warned to look out for a nasty Gmail mail scam. The latest email threat is taking place across the globe, including in India. It uses a completely new way of targeting consumers. It doesn't require you to click on fake links or download malware. This Gmail mail scam is a lot more personal. Scammers are now sending out emails that have come from big named brands like Amazon or PayPal. These emails claim that a large purchase has just been made on the victim's account.

Like all other email scams, this email also looks very convincing with the messages using official fonts and logos. There is no way of stopping this illegal purchase from going through. The only option to cancel this order is for users to make a phone call. There is a telephone number and the email reads “If you didn't make this purchase, please call us.” If you are tricked into dialling the contact details, you will then be put through to a real person on the other end of the phone.

This person isn't an Amazon or PayPal representative but a fraudster. They will try and steal as much information as possible including account names, passwords and bank details. They might also fool you into transferring money to a fake account. Moreover, you can be tricked into installing a Trojan that can steal information from your PC.

This new email scam has been named ‘Vishing.' A team at Kaspersky says there's been an influx of rogue emails being pushed out to consumers. This way of getting people to dial a phone number is far more effective and efficient for cyber thieves. It allows them to sit and wait for the calls to come in.

Explaining more about the threat Kaspersky's Roman Dedenok said: "We recently detected several waves of spam e-mails, seemingly from reputable companies, notifying recipients of substantial purchases. The item in question is usually a high-end device such as the latest Apple Watch or a gaming laptop purchased from Amazon or paid for through PayPal. The scam relies on recipients being so alarmed by the not-insubstantial loss that they will act rashly, hoping to get their money back."