Over the past few days, several major news outlets published alarming headlines claiming that 2.5 billion Gmail users were at risk due to a massive breach. The reports linked the scare to a recent Salesforce attack on Google.
At first, it sounded like a nightmare scenario: billions of Gmail accounts compromised. But when you dig deeper, the story is not only misleading but also completely wrong.
In June 2025, the hacker group ShinyHunters carried out a vishing attack (voice phishing) on Google. By tricking an employee over the phone, they managed to install a malicious version of Salesforce’s Data Loader app.
This attack gave them access to Google’s Salesforce instance, which contained business contact information. That means phone numbers, business emails, and names of customers, not Gmail passwords, inboxes, or personal data. I even explained the details of this attack earlier in my report.
That’s where the media spin comes in. Instead of reporting the breach for what it was, a targeted attack on Google’s business CRM data, they stretched it into a global crisis. Most media portals claimed that Google issued a warning to 2.5 billion Gmail users. I tried to search a lot, but there was no official post on the Google Blog about it. No security advisory on Google’s Safety Center for Gmail users, and no statement on Google’s official X (Twitter) or LinkedIn accounts. The so-called “warning” did not exist. The media simply repeated each other, building hype around a non-existent alert.
This is why so many users, including me, were confused at first, because if Google had actually issued a massive warning, there should have been clear, visible communication.
Surprisingly, all these reports were actually talking about the Salesforce incident. But none explained how this incident is related to all Gmail users.
Today, Google officially addressed the issue. In a statement, the company said:
“Gmail’s protections are strong and effective, and claims of a major Gmail security warning are false. Several inaccurate claims surfaced recently that incorrectly stated that we issued a broad warning to all Gmail users about a major Gmail security issue. This is entirely false.”
Google also reminded users that Gmail already blocks over 99.9% of phishing and malware attempts before they ever reach the inbox.
So, you shouldn’t panic. Your Gmail account has not been compromised. There was no mass breach of Gmail. The Salesforce attack targeted business data and has no connection to billions of personal Gmail accounts. What you should be careful about is phishing. Since attackers now have more business contact info, they may try phone calls, fake Google emails, or support scams to trick people.
Google recommends using passkeys or two-factor authentication (2FA) for your Gmail account. You should also run a Google Security Checkup to ensure your account is safe. You should never trust random phone calls or emails claiming to be from Google.
This media hype was yet another case of sensational reporting where numbers were thrown around for clicks, and this left users confused and unnecessarily worried.
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