Story:
Google Message #xxx Your account has been hacked. Reply with CALL ME to take a call to confirm your identity.
Other Versions
1. Google ID #xxx: Your Gmail has been compromised by hackers. Google needs to call to verify your account. Reply to this message with ‘READY’ when you are ready to recieve the call.
2. Your Gmail Account has been compromised. Text back with “call now” to receive a call to confirm identity.
3. Google user #xxx: your account has been hacked. Text back “SEND CODE” When you are ready to receive your reactivate number.
Analysis:
These are various versions of text messages sent to mobile phone users, warning that the recipient’s Google/GMail account is hacked/compromised and that he has to reply back to confirm his identity and restore his account. This is not a fact.
It is a fact that when there is any suspicious activity Google will reach out to its users with a text message – provided the user has a verified phone number associated with his account. But as mentioned in the above messages, Google/GMail will NOT ask for verification from the message itself. The text messages are not from Google/GMail, they are in fact spam messages sent to random mobile phone users since at least March 2013 – even to the ones who did not have a phone number associated with their Google accounts.
Some people who replied to these messages got back another text message saying:
Reactivation #xxx We will call you within 10 mins. Enter the verification code xxx when you are asked for it.
The users then get a call from a bogus phone number, and a pre-recorded voice message asks for the verification code. After entering the code, a message states that “voice mail is ready to be set up”.
It is not known whether this is a (failed) phishing attempt to steal Google account credentials or sign people up to premium rate SMS services. It could be an attempt to check possible victims for future scams and spam messages, or in the worst case, it may even be the promotion for a new voicemail service. Whatever the intention of this scam and spam messages is, the best thing to do is ignore and delete them, and not reply them back. They can be blocked and reported.
And in case you are doubtful if your GMail account is compromised, log in to your account and scroll down to the bottom, and click Last Account Activity: Details. Check if the log in details are your own. If you are not sure, and are doubtful of any suspicious activity, click the “Sign out of all other sessions” button and then change your password.
Hoax or Fact:
Hoax, and a Scam.
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