Gmail users have been warned to stay vigilant following Elon Musk’s hint at an Xmail email service. It comes after a cybersecurity expert says the announcement could trigger the ‘perfect phishing storm’
Elon Musk whipped up a frenzy after confirming an email service rivalling Gmail – already being referred to as Xmail – is on his 'list of things to do. The tech mogul, who now owns and runs X (formerly Twitter) hasn't given any specify about the new platform – but has hinted it will offer a more Direct Message (DM) style interface rather than endless emails bouncing between people.
This isn't the first time the Tesla founder has hinted at the idea of 'Xmail'. Back in February this year, user Nate McGrady asked when such an email service would launch – and Elon replied: "It's coming." While swathes of users loyal to Elon, who has found himself increasingly closer to POTUS Elect Donald Trump in recent months, have vowed to ditch Gmail following an Xmail launch – it's unlikely that Xmail will ever be able to win over enough of its 1.8 billion users to ruffle too many feathers.
In fact, Elon's strong political views and concern that X is becoming a hotspot for misinformation has resulted in a large number of people joining Bluesky, a rival social media platform that has gained more than 15 million worldwide users. More than one million of which joined following the US Election.
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However, cybersecurity writer Davey Winder argued that Elon's not-so-subtle claims about Xmail could still create the 'perfect phishing storm' – even if people are turning away from his platform. In an article for Forbes, Davey said the extreme interest in Elon, combined with advancements of AI, means scams posing as Xmail could target you.
"Gmail users are at risk as they are the main demographic when it comes to likely interested users and will probably find themselves tempted by invitations to sign up to early Xmail beta access or provided with tools for making the switch to the non-existent service easy by entering Gmail login details to transfer all messages across," he added. "The message is simple: Xmail doesn't exist yet, the phishing threat does. Be careful out there folks."
One thing is clear though: the very notion of Xmail is enough to spark debate. Over the last 24 hours, social media has been flooded with comments around the potential service, and it's clear opinions are divided. "Just what everyone wants, Gmail but with 600 per cent more bots and spam!" one person fumed. "Pass. If it's got Elon's name on it, it isn't a win for any users/consumers. He has basically burned his own brand." However, another disagreed completely, arguing: "I will migrate from Gmail on day one."
Would you join Xmail? Let us know in the comments section below
Sourse: www.mirror.co.uk
