🚨 “Google Alert: Someone Just Logged In?” — Don’t Fall for the Phishing Trap - Watch Full Simulation video below

SYBER SECURE

 How a Fake Email Can Fool Anyone — And How You Can Stay One Step Ahead

"Cybersecurity is not just a tech issue , can also be a human issue. Awareness is your first defense."

🖊️ SHUBHRA • 9 July 2025 • Cybersecurity & Phishing Awareness

🔗 Read in Hindi

🧩 A Real Case — Google Login Phishing Email

It looked like a regular security notification from Google.

Subject: ⚠ Security alert for your Google account

Location: Bangalore, India

Time: July 8, 2025

The email said:

"We detected a suspicious sign-in to your Google Account. If this wasn’t you, review your activity now."

And there was a big blue “Check your activity” button that led to a page that looked exactly like the official Google login screen.

But it wasn’t.

It was a phishing attack — designed to steal your username and password.

This wasn’t a mistake by a user. This was a planned, highly effective phishing attack that is happening all around the world.

🧠 What is Phishing?

Phishing is a type of cyberattack where scammers pretend to be a trusted entity (like Google, Instagram, your bank, or even your boss) to trick you into:

• Clicking on a malicious link

• Entering sensitive information (username, password, OTPs)

• Downloading a harmful file

🎯 Goal: Steal credentials, install malware, or commit fraud.

🔍 How are Scammers Able to Pull off this Scam?

• 🎭 They mimic trusted brands like Google, Instagram, or banks — copying logos, layouts, and tone to build instant trust.

• ⚠️ They use urgency — messages like “Suspicious login detected” make you panic and act quickly.

• 🔗 They link to fake login pages that look almost identical to the real ones — making it hard to spot the difference.

• 🤖 They use tools and AI to build realistic phishing pages in minutes — no advanced coding needed.

• 🕵️ They capture your login info instantly once you type it in — silently stealing access without your knowledge.

🎯 It’s fast, sneaky, and effective — and that’s why phishing remains one of the top cyber threats today.

💻 How Do Phishing Scams Work? 

Let's recreate the above case step by step:

Here, I will be using GoPhish and Mailtrap for the complete simulation.

⚙️ Step 1: Crafting the Fake Email

Scammers design a realistic-looking email:

• Mimic Google's fonts, colors, logos

• Include security-style wording: "Someone signed into your account"

• Add a sense of urgency

🧠 Psychology used: Fear + urgency → Click without thinking

⚙️ Step 2: Setting Up the Fake Login Page

The link in the email doesn’t go to Google — it redirects to a fake login page like this:

• Hosted on a malicious server (e.g., g00gle-alert.com)

• Styled to look exactly like the real Google page

• Collects your username and password

Once submitted:

• Your credentials are sent directly to the attacker

• You may be redirected to the real Google site to avoid suspicion

1) Fake login page designed:

2) Now let's send the mail to a user and check the complete process.

User receives the mail in their mailbox.

    

User clicks the link and lands on the fake login page, enters the credentials and is actually redirected to real google account page.

Real Google Account Page.

⚙️ Step 3: Harvesting Credentials

The attacker now has:

• Your email

• Your password

• Possibly your IP address and device info

If you reused this password on other sites, it’s game over.

While on the backend the scammer receives the complete details like the credentials of the user, device info, browser info, OS info. 

Watch the full Simulation Video below:

🛡️ How to Spot a Phishing Email

✅ Red Flag	🚫 What to Look For
Suspicious sender	Google <no-reply@accounts.g00gle.com> instead of google.com
Generic greeting	“Hi user” instead of your name
Urgency	“Click NOW or lose access”
Link mismatch	Hover reveals a weird or misspelled URL
Grammar errors	Sloppy spelling or poor formatting

🔐 How to Protect Yourself

Here’s what you can do to stay safe:

🔹 1. Always check the sender

Never trust a name — check the full email address.

🔹 2. Hover over links

See where they really go before clicking.

🔹 3. Don’t trust urgency

Slow down. Phishing relies on panic.

🔹 4. Enable 2FA / MFA

Even if your password is stolen, attackers can’t log in without your second factor.

🔹 5. Use a password manager

They autofill only on real websites. They won’t be tricked by lookalikes.

🔹 6. Report suspicious emails

To Google, Microsoft, or your IT team.

🧠 Final Thoughts

Phishing attacks are no longer clumsy and obvious. They are:

• Polished

• Convincing

• Powered by AI

• Targeting you right now

But knowledge is power.

“Think before you click — your identity depends on it.” 

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✍️ Author’s Note:

This blog post is based on a simulated phishing campaign.  I created this only for educational and awareness purposes, using safe and ethical tools.

No real accounts or users were compromised in the process.

My goal is to raise awareness and show just how realistic modern phishing attempts have become — so you can spot them before it's too late.

If this helped you or your team better understand the threats out there, share it. Awareness could save someone from a breach.

🔐 Stay Alert. Stay Informed. Stay Phish-Free.

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🗣️ Discussion Prompt 

💬 What’s Your Take?

You're welcomed to share your thoughts or similar examples.

© 2025 Shubhra Safi. All rights reserved.
Unauthorized use, reproduction, or redistribution of any part of this content is prohibited.