Spammers are using google docs, sheets, and slides for spamming the users. The workspace files include comments that go straight to users’ mail.
Many internet hackers and spammers are using the commenting feature on Google Docs, sheets, and slides. The feature lets a user directly send an email via comment to other users.
Many spammers are adding comments and tagging people; so that email can go directly to the person.
Google has been looking into the matter. There are many reports regarding spam emails. The reports date back to early August; there were similar spam emails sent to users via comments.
Comments feature
Google workspace is an office suite that provides many office tools like Google docs, sheets, and slides. All Google users can access these features without any cost. These files include a feature called comments.
The comments feature helps a user to highlight a text and put a comment on it. With the help of this feature, a user can also tag another Google user.
If any user types a person in a statement on a text in the document, the tagged person will get a mail.
The company’s motive was to improve multi-file sharing. It will help users to communicate within a file, which will enhance teamwork. The commenting feature was linked directly to a user’s personal Gmail.
Spamming in Google Docs
Nowadays, spamming has become a lot more serious issue than it was before. The comments feature on Google has given the spammers a new way of hacking into users’ accounts.
Most of the spam emails consist of a link, and it asks the user to click on it. The message can be quoted like, ” Dear user, you have an important message of a financial transaction. Go to your account to check.” There will be the following link saying it will take the user to his or her account.
Never click on such links, or the spammer will get the user’s account details. The spammer can send such links that can hack into the user’s bank account. Also, these links can leak the user’s personal information and is a threat to his or her privacy.
Process of elimination of spams from inbox
First of all, the users need to open the Gmail webpage on their desktops and laptops. There will be a downward Arrow in the search box. Users need to press back Arrow, and a box will open.
After that, a label says, “has the words” in the dialogue box. In the “has the words” column, enter the phrase, ” you do not have commenting rights.” The user should include quotation marks in words.
After entering the phrase, the user should click on the create filter button. This will ask the user to choose an action for the emails. The user can choose from “mark as read” to “delete” the emails.
Although Google is rolling out additional measures to prevent spamming, it is looking forward to shutdown spam campaigns in Google Docs via new features. Users can expect new features from the company.
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