# Is This A Rip-off Attempt? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 14, 2015, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-rip-off-attempt/740444 "2015-12-14T20:08:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-rip-off-attempt/740444/1 "2015-12-14T20:08:43Z")
I got the following in my G-mail account just now. [quote] Hi [redacted], Your Google Account [my Gmail address} was just used to sign in from Internet Explorer on Windows. [quote] There’s a link to “Explore my Devices”, but I am not fool enough to click on it. I assume this is a phishing attempt, but that’s my default assumption for anything I get. Any chance this is legit? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-rip-off-attempt/740444/2 "2015-12-14T20:40:02Z")
Possibly legit. [https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/gmail/9C9jWx03Q8s](https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/gmail/9C9jWx03Q8s) ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-rip-off-attempt/740444/3 "2015-12-14T20:47:49Z")
The traditional methods to detect spam are: 1. Turn on the “show full headers” options of your email service and follow back to see where the email originated from–in this case from Google. 2. Do a Google search for relevant language. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-rip-off-attempt/740444/4 "2015-12-14T20:49:53Z")
Log into your google account directly via [security.google.com](http://security.google.com) in a fresh browser window, and you should be able to tell whether there has really been any unusual activity on your account. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-rip-off-attempt/740444/5 "2015-12-14T21:20:54Z")
The only thing I have figured out is that the notice was of someone in Georgia who tried to do the login, and for some reason my default location before I log into Google News is the same place in Georgia. Thanks for the feedback. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-rip-off-attempt/740444/6 "2015-12-14T21:25:15Z")
You can also look at the URL for the Explore my Devices link, usually by hovering over it or right-clicking and choosing Properties. If it’s not a Google domain, then it’s hinky. Beware of addresses that seem like they have “google” but it isn’t part of the root, like google . letmescamyou . com. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-rip-off-attempt/740444/7 "2015-12-15T02:37:32Z")
I’m using chrome. When I hover my pointer over a link, in the bottom right of the window, the url the link goes to will appear. In this instance, I’d expect a legitimate message from google would go to a google domain. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-rip-off-attempt/740444/8 "2015-12-15T03:05:40Z")
There are live Phishing attempts that use this ruse. It is reasonably clever in that you may get legitimate warnings - especially when you log in from a new device for the first time. Thus you get used to them being legit. I have received clearly fraudulent such emails - citing an account I do not actually have, but plausibly might, being logged into at a suspicious location. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-rip-off-attempt/740444/9 "2015-12-15T10:36:55Z")
Do you have two factor authentication set up on your Google account? If so you should have received a text with a verification code when the log in was attempted. If not, you might want to consider setting it up. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-rip-off-attempt/740444/10 "2015-12-15T12:59:40Z")
Did you use a different browser or different computer to log in to your account? I get these every so often when I do log in from a different computer or browser. I usually get it quite quickly too, like minutes after I log in. If that’s the case then I ignore it since I know I’ve just logged in. I guess it’s possible that someone tried to log in as you, either by accident, or on purpose, and Google is letting you know. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-rip-off-attempt/740444/11 "2015-12-15T13:42:20Z")
When you log on to Google from a new device (like a different computer or a tablet you’ve never used before), Google sends out that notice automatically. If you recently logged in from a new device, ignore the message. If you haven’t there’s a chance someone has hacked your password. Change your password immediately. You may want to take further steps to alert Google what has happened.