Gmail users are being urged to take extra precautions as a wave of advanced AI-driven scams is targeting accounts. The FBI has responded to these threats, emphasizing the importance of staying vigilant and never engaging with unsolicited calls from individuals claiming to be customer support representatives.

“Legitimate customer, security, or tech support companies will not initiate unsolicited contact with individuals,” the FBI warned in a prior advisory.

These latest scams utilize artificial intelligence to convincingly impersonate real individuals. A targeted user receives a call from someone posing as a Google representative, claiming that suspicious login attempts from overseas have been detected on their account. To make the deception more convincing, scammers manipulate caller ID to display Google’s official name and number.

Shortly after the call, the target receives an email that appears to come from Google, reinforcing the warning and instructing them to use a provided code to “recover” their account. However, by following these steps, the victim may unintentionally grant the attacker full access to their account.

Similar tactics are being used to breach bank accounts, cryptocurrency wallets, and other sensitive platforms.

How to Protect Yourself

The FBI reiterates that users should never share login credentials or passwords over the phone. If you receive a suspicious call regarding account security, the safest course of action is to hang up and independently verify the issue by contacting the company directly through its official customer service number.

For added security, Gmail users are encouraged to enable advanced protection features, such as passkeys and smart keys. These additional security layers can help safeguard accounts even if login details are compromised.

Staying alert and proactive is key to preventing these evolving AI-driven scams from succeeding.

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