Timberline Interactive

As a followup to our occasional posts on the Google AdWords phishing scam emails we all keep seeing, here's what you can expect to receive from Google when you forward a bogus email to their phishing@google.com address:

The email and website you have discovered is not owned by Google. Instead, it was likely designed by an unauthorized party operating under false pretenses while using the Google brand. This practice is commonly called 'phishing.'

'Phishing' occurs when an unauthorized party claims to be a representative of a legitimate organization in an attempt to trick the recipient into disclosing important personal information like passwords, bank account numbers or other sensitive information.

If you receive a suspicious email like this, do not visit any of the URLs provided; they may install malware (harmful software) on your computer.

Keep these tips in mind to help you spot phishing attempts:

• Be wary of unsolicited messages. Google's AdWords team will never send you an email asking you to reply with your password or other sensitive information. If you need to change your account information, such as your billing details or your password, always sign in to your AdWords account from https://adwords.google.com and make the changes directly within your account.
• Check the message headers. The From: address and the Return-path should reference the same source.
• Make sure the URL is legitimate. The AdWords homepage URL will always be https://adwords.google.com.
• Change your Google Account password frequently.
• Keep your computer's antivirus and spyware protections up to date and regularly run system scans. Antivirus software (such as Norton Security Scan and Spyware Doctor) and instructions for use are available for free as part of the Google Pack (not available in all languages).

Keeping our users safe from phishing is something we take very seriously. To help us stop phishing attacks, we ask that you report any suspicious messages or websites to Google at phishing@google.com