"Your Adsense Payment Is On Its Way"

Did Google Actually Send This?

[Roseb44170]

I kinda thought that I saw this kind of thread posted here somewhere but can't seem to find it now. But I got an email saying this and I'm quite suspicious of the link provided since it doesn't seem to go to Google at all.

Has anyone else gotten this kind of email before and is it REALLY from Adsense themselves?

[Play_Bach]

It's legit. They send them ever month now (even though for most of us here it's old news by the time we receive it). I got mine today too.

[Roseb44170]

Well THAT-S a relief! Thanks for letting me know!

[leadegroot]

Of course, just because Google is known to send out these emails doesn't mean the one you got isn't a fake.
Its probably fine, but don't take it for granted.
Does it go to the correct adsense registered address?
Do the headers say it came from google?
Is the eventual landing page of the weird link google?

You're probably fine, but this is the internet, you can't ever let your guard down :(

[HuskyPup]

You're probably fine, but this is the internet, you can't ever let your guard down :(

Just remember, most of this junk was brought to you courtesy of Google...they have a vested interest in this!

[netmeg]

When in doubt, don't click on the link, just open up a browser window and log in the normal way.

By the time I get these emails every month the money has been in my bank (and often spent or redistributed already) anyway. It's a nice gesture, I guess.

[atladsenser]

Hey guys, these emails we're getting about "AdSense payment on its way" are definitely not from Google. They're a phishing scam. You can tell when you mouse over the links in the email, which reveal this as the start of the URL they want you to click:

"http://click.comms.doubleclick.com/..."

This is definitely a sophisticated phishing scam, and one I was very nearly fooled by, but it's definitely a fake. Please don't click any of the links, and report them to Google if you receive them.

Actually I'm a little surprised that an AdSense advisor rep hasn't already chimed in on this, but maybe it's because they don't see them showing up in their email inboxes.

Update:

One more thing -- you can know it's a fake by this part of the email:

"For more information, please log into your account and visit your Payments page. Depending on your form of payment, you may also be able to find a reference number there to track or pick up your payment."

You "may" be able to find a reference number? Wouldn't Google know whether there is a reference number or not?

Another giveaway -- I received this email after I'd already received my payment from Google.

[Play_Bach]

> "http://click.comms.doubleclick.com/..."

@atladsenser, Google owns DoubleClick. Acquired them in 2008.
[googleblog.blogspot.com...]

[netmeg]

You always get the email after you get your payment. Back when we had a regular ASA, she confirmed they were real. And as far as "may be able to find a reference number" - that's because there are different ways of being paid in different countries, and some have tracking numbers and some don't.

[JCKline]

I always get my check the day before I receive the email. When did "snail mail" get faster than email?

[tristanperry]

Yay, one of these threads again :P

To sum-up:

1) Yep, it's from Google
2) Yep, it's sent late
3) Yep, many WWers think it's a waste of bandwidth

:-)

[SteveWh]

When in doubt, don't click on the link, just open up a browser window and log in the normal way.

Good advice for any email that you receive from any place where you have an account.

Go log into your account the usual way. If you find the info that the email said would be there, fine, the email was legit.

If you don't find what the email said would be there, then the email was a fraud, and aren't you glad you didn't follow the link in it?

You almost never need to click on a link in an email that is about your account, so just don't click on links in emails that are about any of your important online accounts. Ever.


And, as PayPal used to say in their emails that gave the same advice, "[u]Click here[/u] to learn more." Yes, they really did used to say that, in the very next sentence after telling you not to click on email links about your PayPal account.

[atladsenser]

Well, I'm glad I'm wrong on this. :) I guess the reason I was so suspicious of the payment email is that I'd received an email that was titled "Google AdSense Newsletter" for months before receiving the payment notice email. However, it went to another email address I had that wasn't associated with my AdSense account, so it seemed pretty suspicious to me. I think SteveWh's advice is good about links in emails -- I'll stick to copying & pasting links.

[SteveWh]

I think I remember receiving a few months ago some sort of communication about AdSense to one of my email addresses that wasn't my registered AdSense email address and that I wasn't aware AdSense knew existed. But other Google services did know the address. The email was probably legitimately from Google, but if it invited me to take any action, I probably didn't do it.

I think you're right to be suspicious of anything you receive at an email address that isn't the one you think the sender should have used.

----

So as not to be misunderstood about links in emails, what I'm really suggesting is to IGNORE links in emails about your important online accounts. Don't click them. Don't copy and paste them.

The AdSense login URL is [google.com...]
Use it to make a browser bookmark.
Always use that URL to visit your AdSense account.
Never visit it any other way.
Not by clicking. Not by copying and pasting.

If an email says something important is in your AdSense account, just log in using your bookmark. If it's so important, it will be easy to find.

The same for all other accounts: PayPal, online banks, etc.