Cloud Storage Message May Be a Scam
If you’ve received an urgent message that your cloud storage is running low, potentially resulting in the loss of photos or documents, you may be the victim of a scam. The Federal Trade Commission is warning consumers about a phishing scam involving emails and text messages that claim your cloud storage is full on services like Apple, Google, and Microsoft. The scammers’ ultimate goal is to trick you into clicking a link that appears to clear or upgrade your storage, which will ultimately lead to you handing over personal information (like your account username and password) or downloading malware to your device.
How Cloud Storage Scams Work
As MalwareTips describes , emails with cloud storage scams typically use urgent subject lines, such as “Your iCloud account may be at risk,” to trigger an emotional response and encourage you to act rashly. The messages may come from an email address that looks legitimate but is slightly different (e.g., [at]applesecurity[dot]com instead of [at]apple[dot]com), and may contain official logos or other branding. The body of the email may include a time-limited upgrade offer, which also creates a sense of urgency, and a call to action, such as an “Upgrade Storage Now” button.
Any message that evokes strong emotions or prompts quick action is likely a scam, even if it comes from a legitimate sender. As I’ve written about , attackers can exploit vulnerabilities that allow them to spoof or impersonate organizations like Google.
When you sign in to various services (like Gmail), you may see notifications about your cloud storage usage, like banners. But if you receive an email or SMS that your cloud space is running out, it’s best to go straight to the source and check your balance. Don’t click on any links or follow them.
How to check your cloud storage space
If you’re a Google user, you can view and manage your cloud storage in Google One Storage Manager (you must sign in to your Google account). There, you’ll see how much space you’ve used and how much is left, as well as details about the Google services taking up your allocated space and recommendations for cleaning up extra space.
Please note: If you have multiple Google accounts, each will have its own dedicated storage, and you can switch between them by clicking your profile picture in the upper right corner. Personal Google accounts come with 15GB of free storage, with the option to pay to expand. If you run out of space, you won’t be able to upload or create files in Drive, send or receive emails in Gmail, or back up photos and videos to Google Photos.
If you have an iCloud storage account, you cancheck your remaining space by going to Settings > [your name] > iCloud on your iPhone or iPad, or via Apple menu > System Preferences > [your name] > iCloud > Manage on your Mac. On Windows, open iCloud for Windows and scroll to the bar chart. You’ll also need to be signed in to your Apple account to do this. iCloud provides 5GB of free storage. Once that’s full, and unless you upgrade, your device will stop backing up to iCloud, uploading photos to iCloud and iCloud Drive, and updating iCloud apps. You’ll also be unable to send or receive email using your iCloud address.
Finally, Microsoft 365 includes 5GB of free OneDrive cloud storage and 15GB of mailbox storage. To check your usage , sign in to your Microsoft account on your device and select the Microsoft storage icon. You can also upgrade your subscription.