Kaspersky says the number of phishing attempts aimed against Google has increased significantly this year.

Phishing has more than tripled on Google, with a 243% increase in the first half of 2024 compared to the previous year.

This is according to recent research conducted by cyber security firm Kaspersky among 25 well-known global companies.

MasterCard witnessed a 210 percent increase in attempts to steal sensitive data and money, followed by Facebook and Netflix, who have all seen their attack attempts double.

While cyber criminals also extensively chase credentials and data of other brands, Kaspersky reports that Google, Facebook, and Amazon are the most commonly targeted brands in phishing assaults.

Kaspersky says it analysed a sample of 25 names from the Best Global Brands 2023 rating by Interbrand for phishing exploitation.

According to the company, in the first half of 2024, approximately 26 million users around the world tried to access fake resources impersonating these brands, nearly 40% higher than in January-June 2023.

Kaspersky notes this high surge is due to an increase in fraudulent activity rather than a decrease in user alertness, as "cyber criminals are becoming more aggressive in their pursuit of users' data and money."

The company says among the brands evaluated, cyber crominals predominantly targeted Google services in order to obtain credentials such as usernames and passwords.

It adds there were around 3.7 million attempts on Facebook users, with Amazon coming in third with over 3 million.

Microsoft and DHL completed the top five, with 2.8 million and 2.6 million attempts, respectively.

PayPal, MasterCard, Apple, Netflix, and Instagram were among the top ten brands targeted by cyber criminals for credentials and money in 2024.

“This year has seen a significant increase in phishing attempts targeting Google. If a phisher gains access to a Gmail account, they can potentially access multiple services, making it a prime target. 

"Phishing for Mastercard, typically aimed at stealing money, has likely risen alongside the proliferation of fake online shops pretending to sell goods and offering checkout options with allegedly Mastercard,” says Olga Svistunova, a security expert at Kaspersky.

“Interestingly, Microsoft experienced a decline in clicks on phishing resources. Since this brand is frequently targeted for corporate credentials phishing, the decrease may be attributed to improved cyber literacy in various organisations. DHL has also seen a decline, which is a common trend among several transport and logistics brands we analysed.”