Surprising new Gmail and Outlook threat should have all email users on red alert

If you get an unexpected email from renowned courier company DHL, be warned! If you haven’t bought anything online in recent memory, the correspondence from the firm is almost certainly a scam aimed at stealing personal information, including bank details and passwords. It may come as a surprise, but DHL has just been named the top brand used by scammers to impersonate in an attempt to trick email users. 

DHL has overtaken Microsoft, WhatsApp, Google, and even Amazon to claim the top spot.

With millions of us staying at home due to the ongoing global pandemic and ordering more goods online, it seems cyber crooks are trying to make a quick buck by sending out fake emails and text messages pretending to be from delivery firms. These scams often lure consumers by stating that a parcel is out for delivery and must be tracked in order to receive it.

These scam messages usually feature a link that takes people to fake websites that look just like the official homepage with anyone who is fooled then asked to input their details.

According to the security team at Check Point, the rise in online shopping has led to a boom in DHL scams. In fact, a whopping twenty-three percent of all brand phishing attempts were related to DHL in the last part of 2021 – that’s up from just 9 percent in the previous quarter.

Speaking about the news, said: “In Q4, global logistics and distribution company DHL ended Microsoft’s long-standing reign as the brand most frequently imitated by cybercriminals in attempts to steal credentials or deploy malware via sophisticated phishing techniques.

“FedEx also appeared in the top ten list for the first time in Q4 2021, no doubt the result of threat actors trying to target vulnerable online shoppers in the run-up to the festive season as the pandemic remained a key concern.”

Alongside DHL, there are other brands that email users should be wary of if they receive a message they weren’t expecting. Microsoft, WhatsApp, Google, LinkedIn and Amazon all appear in the top 10 when it comes to fake phishing emails.

Anyone seeing a message from these brands needs to be high alert and should only click on links if they are 100 percent sure the email is genuine.

Here’s a list of the top 10 firms used by scammers…

DHL (related to 23% of all phishing attacks globally)

Microsoft (20%)

WhatsApp (11%)

Google (10%)

LinkedIn (8%)

Amazon (4%)

FedEx (3%)

Roblox (3%)

Paypal (2%)

Apple (2%)

“In a brand phishing attack, criminals try to imitate the official website of a well-known brand by using a similar domain name or URL and web-page design to the genuine site,” Check Point said. “The link to the fake website can be sent to targeted individuals by email or text message, a user can be redirected during web browsing, or it may be triggered from a fraudulent mobile application. The fake website often contains a form intended to steal users’ credentials, payment details or other personal information.”