Protect your account against security threats

This is an article about protecting your Authorized Buyers account against malware and phishing.

Security threats include when you:

• May have malware on your computer
• Click a suspicious link
• Reply to a phishing email and provide your account information

We suggest that you follow these steps to protect your account.

Tip

Malware is malicious software that tries to steal sensitive information from your computer, sends spam, or commits fraud. Your Authorized Buyers account can become compromised if you have malware on your system.

Phishing emails are fraudulent emails that appear to come from Google, but aren't from Google. These emails sometimes ask you to enter your billing information or account details in order to trick you into sharing your personal information.

Check for unauthorized changes

While you're signed in to your Authorized Buyers account, check for any unauthorized activity, such as changes to your ads or budget. If you notice any activity that you didn't authorize, report the unauthorized activity to us as soon as possible.

Check your bank or credit card statements for any unauthorized activity if you accidentally followed a phishing email and provided your billing information.

Scan your computer for malware

Malware refers to software specifically designed to harm a computer or the software it's running. Malware can steal sensitive information (like credit card numbers or passwords) or even send fake emails from your email, often without your knowledge.

Malware can be installed on your computer in a number of ways, with or without your knowledge. Most commonly, malware occurs when you visit a contaminated website or download seemingly innocent software from the Internet. Malware includes, viruses, worms, spyware, and Trojan horses.

There are a variety of programs that can detect and remove malware that's installed on your computer.

Tip: If you already have an anti-spyware or an anti-virus program on your computer, make sure it's up-to-date and then run a full system scan.

Change your password

To change your Authorized Buyers password, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to Authorized Buyers.
2. Select your Google account and click Account.
3. Click Security and scroll to "How you sign in to Google" and click Password.
4. Enter your "Current Password", your "New Password", and your "New Password Again".
5. Click Change password.

To protect yourself from account security issues, be aware of suspicious emails or websites, and report any phishing attempts to us immediately.

Learn more about malware prevention.