Morocco’s cybersecurity authority has warned millions of Google users to change their passwords after hackers known as “ShinyHunters” infiltrated a company database, raising fears of large-scale phishing attacks.
In a security bulletin, the General Directorate of Information Systems Security said the group, also referred to as UNC6040, accessed a Google database hosted on Salesforce and extracted data linked to hundreds of millions of accounts.
Google later confirmed the breach, saying leaked information included customer names, company details and phone numbers, though not passwords. Still, experts warned that stolen data could be used for highly targeted phishing attempts.
Following the leak, Gmail users reported receiving fraudulent emails and calls from people posing as Google staff, claiming their accounts had been compromised. Morocco’s national computer emergency response center, maCERT, urged vigilance.
Cybersecurity expert Tayeb Lahzaz said Moroccan users were among those targeted, with hackers seeking to trick victims into handing over new passwords by simulating Google security alerts. Another expert, Hassan Kharchouj, said as many as one million Moroccans may be exposed to the breach, stressing the need for two-factor authentication.
Officials said the alert shows Morocco is taking cross-border cyber threats seriously and called on citizens to update credentials immediately and avoid interacting with suspicious messages.
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