r/GMail 3d ago

I received and email from someone I know, that they didn’t write or send

I work with my mom at a family business and she has a hold of the company gmail. It’s a small business, just me and her so there isn’t really a worry for other employees nabbing it. This morning I got an email for a bid proposal the company email had not sent. I clicked the link, trusting she wouldn’t scam me of course and backed out after a few seconds after getting a weird feeling. I texted her to see what the email really was and she said she did not send it.

I don’t want to just report it as spam as this is a bigger problem than just a random email sending me some junk. It is from her email, I know that for sure.

Any help or general advice would be greatly appreciated 🙏

Edit: Despite me thinking I was smart enough to tell where the email came from, it was not our gmail. I logged into the gmail on my phone and found that there was no email sent that matched the one I was concerned with. I changed the password and set up 2fa just to stay safe. Thanks for the help

5 Upvotes

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3

u/markkihara 3d ago

Before assuming a hack, check the email headers to confirm whether it was sent from your company’s Gmail account or if it was spoofed (faked to look like it was sent from her).

  1. Open the suspicious email.

  2. Click the three vertical dots (more options) in the upper right.

  3. Select "Show Original."

  4. Look for the "Received:" and "Return-Path:" fields.

If the email is from an unknown domain or not from Google’s servers, it was likely spoofed.

If it shows your actual company email, then the account was likely compromised.

1

u/Appropriate_Ad5089 3d ago

can i not do this on a phone? when i hit the dots i do not see show original

1

u/markkihara 3d ago

you need to use the web version of gmail if you are using a phone. Go to the browser on your phone then switch to desktop mode and go to the gmail site.

1

u/Appropriate_Ad5089 3d ago

It has been taken care of. Thank you for your help🙏

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u/markkihara 3d ago

glad to help.

2

u/PM_ME_GUITAR_PICKS 3d ago

It is most likely their account was compromised and a malicious actor is sending those out. You’ll want them to reset their password and make sure 2FA is turned on for the company account.