Watch out for Google Docs scams

Cybercriminals continue to exploit Google Docs to trick campus users into revealing their personal and university-owned information.

Campus users have reported recieving email and mobile push notifications with malicious links to purportedly shared Google Docs. Because these notifications come from Google’s “no-reply” email address, they appear legitimate, but they are not.

Currently, these scams are easily identifiable as they are often written in broken English or a foreign language. However, scammers continue to fine-tune these types of attacks. 

The Google Service Team (GST) encourages users to carefully review any collaboration requests and to decline unexpected requests, especially from individuals who are outside of the “ncsu” domain.

The GST and Google will try to block access to malicious sites, but the best defense is to exercise common sense. Do not click on any suspicious links! 

For related information, see: Beware a New Google Drive Scam Landing in Inboxes.

If you have any questions, contact the NC State Help Desk via the IT Service Portal or by calling 919.515.HELP (4357).