Cybersafety: YouTube warns against new ‘very serious’ phishing scam

*TeamYouTube warns consumers to be on the alert as the new YouTube phishing scam circulating, ‘looks like’ a real e-mail address but it is not the same as ‘being’ a real e-mail address

Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect

TeamYouTube has disclosed there is a new YouTube phishing scam circulating, and it is so good that the global technology giant itself is shouting from its rooftops that no digital consumer should even think about opening the e-mail.

The company

TeamYouTube said in a tweet: “Heads up: we’re seeing reports of a phishing attempt showing no-reply@youtube.com as the sender.

“Be cautious & don’t download/access any file if you get this email.”

Tech influencer Kevin Breeze also shared a screenshot of what the suspicious e-mail looked like, report stated.

Cyberscam a serious stuff, says TeamYouTube

TeamYouTube as well noted that the number one thing the scammers are pinning their hopes on is that the people who get the e-mail will gloss over the fact that the sender’s e-mail address looks similar to one from Google or YouTube, but is slightly different.

Measures to protect consumers

The company urges consumers to take the following steps that can help as well:

• Check that the e-mail address and the sender’s name match
• Check the message headers to make sure the “from” header isn’t showing an incorrect name, and
• Check that the email is authenticated

“To protect your Google/YouTube Account, we strongly recommend enabling 2-step Verification,” YouTube team said.

The team added: “When this is enabled, if someone tries to sign in from a new device or location, Google will send you a unique code for an added layer of security.

“This helps prevent unauthorised people from accessing your account.”

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