All Gmail users put on red alert as one email can 'hijack' your inbox - delete it now

Anyone with a Gmail account needs to be on high alert and watch out for worrying new emails that claim to have come from Google. It appears that hackers are trying a scary new tactic in a bid to crack accounts and falling for the trick could mean full access is instantly granted to cyber crooks.

The security team at Malwarebytes is now urging all Gmail users to be on the lookout for suspicious messages that claim to be from Google's Support service. It's also a good idea to stay alert and be wary if the phone rings and the person on the other end of the line claims to be from the US technology giant with some users receiving worrying calls along with messages in their inbox.

The idea behind the attack is to try and obtain a security code that Google sends out when a password is reset.

Explaining more, Malwarebytes said: "Victims get an email or phone call allegedly from Google support that warns someone has tried to hack their account. The best way to protect themselves is to reset the password.

"They then send a separate account reset email to the victim, who dutifully enters their login credentials. The account includes a code that the victim must read out to verify that they’re legit. The support staff say they’ll enter this code to reset the system, but they’re using those precious extra few seconds to hijack the victim’s account."

It's unclear just how bad the problem is, but some Google users have confirmed that they have been targeted this month.

Speaking on Reddit, one Google account holder called sphoone said: “He was trying to actively recover my account and steal possession of it, while on the phone with me."

To make it appear more real, the scammer even asked the victim to look up the number they were calling from, then hang up the phone and call the number back.

“He was completely bluffing — as when you call that number, you cannot get a human on the line,” said the Redditor. “They don’t staff that line with agents.”

If you receive any contact from Google claiming an account needs resetting, be warned. It's almost certainly a scam, and being fooled could leave you seriously out of pocket.

Google has even commented on the problem, saying users must not hand over any data.

"These contacts and their websites have no affiliation to Google and may claim to provide password reset assistance as well as other Gmail related support services," the US company said.

"In addition, these sites may require the submission of payment for their support services. Google does not charge users to recover their account credentials or change their password.

"In other cases, these websites may call you and claim that your Google Account was hijacked or that your computer has a virus or other malware on it. Google does not provide phone based support for Gmail and these calls are not affiliated with Google."