Billions of Gmail and Outlook users have been warned to check their inboxes for dangerous “money grabbing” messages

Next time you check your email, watch out for a common scam spreading.

It’s an emailed bill for a smartphone you never ordered, and it’s meant to scare you.

1

If you receive a PayPal email invoice about a Google Pixel phone that you didn’t order, you should delete it out loud Trend Micro.

This type of scam is very common and relies on you being surprised and acting without thinking.

A cybercriminal creates a PayPal account and sends you an invoice.

In this case, the fake bill claims that you owe hundreds of dollars for something you didn’t try to buy.

It contains a scammer’s phone number and asks you to call them to cancel the order.

The number is not the official PayPal number and will likely connect you with a criminal trying to get financial information from you.

How to avoid a phishing scam

First, you should thoroughly check who sent the email.

Even if it looks official, double-check the email and look for any misspellings or slight anomalies in the sender’s email address.

Never feel pressured to open an attachment and avoid clicking on the phrase “activate content”.

You should also be careful with links in e-mails.

If you are sure an email you have received is a scam, delete it.

If you are unsure about a membership email email, contact the brand in question directly using the details provided on their legitimate website.