Google users warned about sign you're being scammed and one thing you should never ignore

Cyber-security is more essential today than ever, with scammers having multiple ways to get to you and get the information they need.

We're in the age of advanced technology and soon AI, so it's no shock that scammers have learned every trick in the book to take advantage of unsuspecting internet users and steal information from them.

They are constantly developing new methods and ways to trick people, and one of the places that they conduct their scams is popular social messaging platform, Google Chat.

But according to experts at Trend Micro, there are five main scams that they use to get to people on the chat platform and eventually prey on them, and once you're aware, it makes it a lot easier to stop and report them.

There are five main scams used to get to victims. (Getty Stock Photo)

Romance Scams

One of the most popular methods, romance scams involves the scammer creating fake profiles to try and build romantic relationships with their targets to create a sense of trust.

Further down the line, they ask for money for a number of reasons, perhaps saying it's for medical purposes, travel or family emergencies - without ever meaning to meet in real life.

This scam can involve some emotional manipulation that can deceive victims and cloud their judgement.

Phishing

You've probably had to do a course on this at work, but in case you haven't, this is where scammers send messages that look to be from someone you know, but it isn't them.

It could be a friend, a family member, or even a colleague, and they will ask for sensitive information such as your address, passwords or credit card details.

Beware though, as a lot of these messages can include links with malware, that can give your laptop or device a virus, and compromise your private information.

Phishing is another thing to keep an eye out. (Getty stock photo)

Tech Support Method

This has scammers posing as Google Chat representatives or tech support members, before trying to convince you there is a problem with your account or device.

After this, they will ask for a payment or remote access to your account to 'fix' the issue, but Google Chat does not provide direct technical support like this, so it's worth being aware of these messages.

People can often fall victim and pay the price financially if they share the wrong information. (Getty Stock Photo)

Fake Jobs

Google Chat is even used by scammers to offer fake job opportunities to the target.

They can often claim to be part of a real company, offering you a job with too-good-to-be-true benefits, eventually asking for a payment or sensitive information, which should again be a red flag.

Just use your common sense - if it's too good to be true, it probably is.

Investment Scams

Finally, these scams are popular across several platforms, and Google Chat is not exempt from this.

Scammers will promise you the world, high returns on investment, a fortune that's all yours, and ask for money to invest into these opportunities, which are fake.

It's worth doing some research here, and being aware of investment offers that are being pushed to you without your knowing.

Topics: Technology, News

Joshua Nair

Joshua Nair is a journalist at LADbible. Born in Malaysia and raised in Dubai, he has always been interested in writing about a range of subjects, from sports to trending pop culture news. After graduating from Oxford Brookes University with a BA in Media, Journalism and Publishing, he got a job freelance writing for SPORTbible while working in marketing before landing a full-time role at LADbible. Unfortunately, he's unhealthily obsessed with Manchester United, which takes its toll on his mental and physical health. Daily.

@joshnair10