BPS Warns Of Scams Using Google Meet - Bernews
The Bermuda Police Service [BPS] has issued a warning to residents about a new scam tactic where scammers impersonate bank officials using Google Meet calls.
The Bermuda Police Service [BPS] has received reports of persons being contacted by individuals pretending to be bank officials, using Google Meet, claiming that fraudulent activity has been detected on their accounts.
A police spokesperson stated, “A Google Meet call from [email protected] or some similar address is a known scam tactic used to impersonate customer support. Legitimate banks do not initiate unexpected Google Meet video, or voice calls with customers.”
The scammers add the victim's email address to a Google Calendar event or place a direct Google Meet call from a fake address so it rings directly on their phone or computer.
How the Scam Operates
Once a victim joins the Meet call, the scammer pretends to be a fraud agent and asks them to share their screen to steal one-time passcodes, PINs, or login details.
Because the call comes through the Google Meet or Gmail app rather than a standard mobile network, it bypasses traditional phone number blocking.
Prevention Steps
Residents should open the Google Meet app, tap on the missed call or sender, and select Block or Report abuse to stop the contact from ringing their account again.
In the Google Meet app, users can go to Settings > Calling settings and choose to only allow calls from contacts to stop strangers from calling directly.
If a Google Calendar invite is received, open the calendar on a web browser, go to Settings > Event settings, and ensure that invitations are only added if the sender is known.
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