Phishers target Google AdWords users

Trying to trick AdWords users into thinking that one of their income source is threatened, the phishers sent out emails with “Account has stopped running this morning” in the subject line, and urging them to check it out.

The offered link to the account takes the potential victim to a rather faithful copy of the legitimate Google AdWords login page:

Even the domain (google-oa.net) on which this phishing site is hosted can, at first glance, make the user believe that the site is legitimate.

But, according to Sophos, a simple “whois” search reveals that it has been registered to an individual in New York on the day after the emails were sent – so, definitely not Google.

Unfortunately, as all Google services are tied to the same account, those users who have fallen for the scheme have handed over their central username and login. They are urged to execute a password reset and be more careful in the future.