Phishing scammers and hackers are finding innovative ways to hijack user accounts and steal data. The latest tool used by hackers to exploit user accounts is Google Translate.
Gone are the days when you had to be worried about spam mails and malicious pop-ups to protect your data. A report by ZDNet describes how hackers are exploring Google Translate tool to trap users in phishing scams. The loophole exploited by hackers makes it possible for users to fall into a trap without knowing all the consequences.
Several hackers are sending phishing mails using a fake URL through Google Translate. The URL basically is a newly generated Google Translate link. The same URL is then used inside the phishing mail. The hackers are using Google Translate to lure users.
The report further suggests that whenever a user clicks on a link inside the phishing mail, they are redirected to a Google Translate portal. The URL loads Google Translate toolbar along with a phishing page. The phishing page looks like the Google's single sign-in page.
If you click on the links on the page, you would end up sharing details about your social media and even credentials of your bank accounts. According to the report, attacks are difficult to spot on mobile devices.
The phishing attacks are designed to look authentic at the first glance. However they are not impossible to detect either. If an internet user pays attention to little details, they can easily gauge that the page is manipulated to look like an authentic page.
Google has acknowledged the pattern of phishing attack. The Google spokesperson said, "We are aware of the phishing attempts and have blocked all sites in question, on multiple levels. If users encounter any phishing site, they can report them at this URL and we will take appropriate action: google.com/safebrowsing/report_phish/"