YouTube is warning people not to fall for a new phishing scam using its email

YouTube logo against a black and red background

Emails that seem to come from a major company, but are in fact phishing scams, are nothing new.. This week, a new scam of this sort has been making the rounds, designed as an email from Google's YouTube.

The official TeamsYouTube Twitter account posted word this week of this new email hacker scam. Some people are reporting they are getting emails that look like they come from YouTube, and even show the address as no-reply@youtube.com.

⚠️ heads up: we’re seeing reports of a phishing attempt showing no-reply@youtube.com as the sender

be cautious & don’t download/access any file if you get this email (see below)

while our teams investigate, try these tips to stay safe from phishing: https://t.co/x9Ysnm9SSm https://t.co/MNQtrB7zbx
— TeamYouTube (@TeamYouTube) April 4, 2023

The email is labeled "Changes in YouTube rules and policies" and the body of the message asks users to click on a link. That link is, of course, the way for the hackers to get you to likely download files to your PC or smartphone.

YouTube says, "be cautious & don’t download/access any file if you get this email." It adds that it is currently investigating this phishing scam. It does provide a real link to one of its support pages, which offers ways to identify a phishing email.

Importantly, the support page states what to do (or more accurately, what not to do) when you get a phishing email. In short, don't give out your Google password, don't share your password, and don't provide personal info in an email.