A new phishing scam is currently hitting UK inboxes, masquerading as a "Delivery Status Notification" or a storage alert from Google. It’s a clever attempt to trick you into handing over your payment details or login credentials.
We’ve already reported this to report@phishing.gov.uk, but here is what you need to look out for to stay safe.
The Anatomy of the Scam
The email uses several tactics to create a sense of urgency and legitimacy:
The Fake Warning: The email claims your cloud storage is 100% full and that your "access is at risk," threatening to pause your emails and file syncing.
The "Bait": To make the offer tempting, it claims an "80% Loyalty Discount" has been applied to an upgrade.
Official Branding: It uses the familiar Google Cloud/Drive logo and colours to appear authentic at a glance.
Why We Know It’s Fake
If you look closely at the screenshots, the red flags are everywhere:
The Sender Address: The email claims to be a "Delivery Status Notification," but the actual sender address is a random string of characters from a Hotmail account (
aqhc1dxpetam0410yan@hotmail.com). Google would never send storage alerts from a Hotmail address.Conflicting Info: The subject line says "Delivery Status Notification (Failure)," which has nothing to do with cloud storage limits.
Language Errors: Your email provider even flagged that the message appeared to be in French, despite the text being in English—a common sign of "masking" used by scammers.
Suspicious Company Name: The footer credits "2026 Cloud Storage Systems Inc." rather than Google or Alphabet.
What You Should Do
Do Not Click: Clicking "Get More Storage" will likely take you to a fake payment page.
Report It: Forward any similar emails to the National Cyber Security Centre at report@phishing.gov.uk.
Check Locally: If you are worried about your storage, go directly to one.google.com or check your settings in the official app. Never follow a link from a suspicious email.
