How to Spot Microsoft Account Hacks Linked to WhatsApp and Signal Scams

If you use a Microsoft 365 account, you might want to be extra cautious. Reports have surfaced that hackers are targeting Microsoft accounts through popular messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Signal.

According to a report from Bleeping Computer, cybercriminals, allegedly linked to Russian threat groups, are impersonating officials from European countries to trick their victims into handing over sensitive login information. These hackers appear to have targeted individuals working at organizations related to human rights and Ukraine.

The goal of the scam is simple: the attackers are trying to convince victims to share Microsoft authorization codes, which grant them full access to the accounts. Alternatively, they may try to lure individuals into clicking on malicious links designed to steal login credentials and one-time access codes.

How to Spot These Scams

If you're worried about falling victim to this kind of attack, the cybersecurity company Volexity, which has been tracking these incidents since March, has shared valuable insights. In their blog post, Volexity highlights how these scammers reach out to their targets via Signal, WhatsApp, and even a compromised Ukrainian government email. They typically try to convince recipients to click on links that supposedly lead to a meeting about Ukraine-related topics.

Volexity even shared screenshots of the suspicious messages, which are worth checking out if you want to know what to watch out for. These messages should immediately raise a red flag—if you see something similar, be cautious.

As always, never click on any suspicious links, especially if you're part of an organization focused on human rights or geopolitical issues. Stay vigilant and protect your accounts!

Google’s Gmail Upgrade: The Good, The Bad, and What It Means for 3 Billion Users

Google is rolling out its next big AI upgrade for Gmail, and while it comes with exciting advancements, it also raises serious privacy concerns. On top of that, a long-hidden cyber threat has finally come to light—one that could put billions of users at risk.

The Good News: Stricter Spam Filters Are Working

Let’s start with the positive. Google’s stricter spam email policies are making a noticeable impact, significantly cutting down the number of unwanted marketing emails flooding inboxes. According to MarTech, email engagement rates—such as open and click rates—have dropped considerably, and most marketing emails now end up in spam unless recipients actively engage with them.

For businesses, this is a nightmare. Many brands are facing major challenges in reaching their audiences, even when following best practices. But for regular users, this is a welcome change—fewer annoying promotional emails and a cleaner inbox.

However, marketers are already working on ways to bypass these restrictions. MarTech notes that email deliverability is more of an art than a science, and businesses are actively testing new strategies to avoid spam filters. In other words, this battle is far from over.

The Privacy Trade-Off: AI Reads Your Emails?

While Google’s AI-powered enhancements aim to improve the user experience, they come at a cost. Many users are uncomfortable with the idea of AI analyzing their personal emails. Despite Google’s assurances that users have control over their data and privacy settings, the thought of AI reading emails has left many feeling uneasy.

Google insists that privacy remains a top priority, and users can manage AI-powered features in their settings. But with Gmail dominating the email market in the U.S., these changes affect a vast number of people—whether they like it or not.

The Bad News: A Sophisticated Email Attack Has Been Hiding for Years

While Gmail’s security improvements are making an impact, cybercriminals continue to evolve their tactics. Security researchers at Infoblox have uncovered a highly sophisticated phishing attack that has been operating undetected for years. This attack uses a DNS trick to serve fake login pages for over 100 brands, including Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, DHL, and even major banks.

The technique, dubbed “Morphing Meerkat” by Bleeping Computer, leverages DNS mail exchange (MX) records to dynamically generate phishing pages that appear legitimate. Attackers then use compromised WordPress sites, URL shorteners, and adtech infrastructure to distribute phishing links. What’s worse, after stealing a user’s credentials, the attack redirects them to the actual login page, making them think they simply mistyped their password.

How to Stay Safe

This attack highlights a growing issue: passwords alone are no longer enough to secure accounts. While two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of protection, some forms of 2FA can still be exploited. Google recommends enabling passkeys and using the strongest available authentication methods to protect your account.

Cybercriminals are also leveraging open redirects in Google’s DoubleClick ad network to disguise phishing links. Stolen credentials are then distributed through various channels, including Telegram. The fact that this operation remained hidden for so long shows just how sophisticated modern cyber threats have become.

The Bottom Line

Email security is improving, but so are cybercriminal tactics. Google's AI-powered Gmail updates come with both benefits and risks—better spam protection but potential privacy concerns. Meanwhile, a stealthy phishing attack serves as a reminder that users must stay vigilant.

To stay safe, avoid clicking on suspicious links, enable the strongest security measures on your accounts, and remember: when it comes to cybersecurity, caution is always better than regret.

3 Costly Omnichannel Marketing Mistakes Nonprofits Must Avoid

Many nonprofits struggle to bridge the gap between digital and direct mail marketing. Without a seamless omnichannel strategy, fundraising efforts can fall short. Digital channels like email, social media, and text messaging offer quick, direct ways to engage donors, while direct mail remains a trusted tool for building relationships and driving contributions.

But when these channels operate independently, nonprofits miss out on opportunities to foster long-term donor relationships. The key to overcoming these challenges? Data. A well-integrated approach can maximize fundraising success. To stay on track, nonprofits should avoid these three common omnichannel marketing mistakes.

1. Treating Online and Offline Donor Campaigns as Separate Initiatives

Many nonprofits run their digital and direct mail campaigns separately, often managed by different teams. This lack of coordination results in inconsistent messaging, redundant outreach, and a disjointed donor experience.

To fix this, organizations should integrate all touchpoints into a single donor journey. When online and offline efforts work together, campaigns become more cohesive and effective.

If donors receive conflicting messages or overwhelming appeals, they might disengage. The solution? Synchronize messaging across all channels—email, social media, direct mail, and text—to create a unified and engaging experience.

How to Make It Work:

• Leverage technology. Use QR codes or personalized URLs to seamlessly connect physical mail with digital platforms.

• Ensure consistency. Maintain a uniform tone, branding, and call-to-action across all channels to reinforce your mission.

By aligning digital and direct mail strategies, nonprofits can increase engagement, reduce confusion, and drive higher donations.

2. Overlooking Personalization, Segmentation, and Timing

Some nonprofits take a one-size-fits-all approach to save time and resources. Unfortunately, this often backfires, leading to disengagement. Donors interact in different ways—some prefer traditional mail, while others respond better to email or text messages.

To boost engagement, nonprofits must use data to personalize messages and segment donor lists based on preferences, donation history, and past interactions. Generic, mass communications fail to create meaningful connections, resulting in lower response rates.

Personalization goes beyond just using a donor’s name—it’s about delivering the right message, at the right time, through the right channel.

How to Make It Work:

• Segment and tailor communications. Create customized messages based on giving history and engagement levels.

• Time outreach strategically. Use data to identify the best times to connect with donors, such as sending reminders to past year-end donors at key moments in the giving cycle.

By personalizing outreach efforts, nonprofits can strengthen relationships and inspire greater donor commitment.

3. Ignoring A/B Testing and Failing to Measure Results

Successful marketing isn’t static—it requires continuous learning and optimization. A/B testing is crucial for understanding what works best, from subject lines and visuals to donation page layouts and call-to-action phrasing.

Without testing, nonprofits risk missing opportunities to fine-tune their messaging and improve engagement.

During campaigns, nonprofits should experiment with different elements—such as email subject lines, donation page designs, and sending times. A/B testing reveals what resonates most with donors, allowing for real-time strategy adjustments. Post-campaign analysis is equally essential to measure success and identify areas for improvement.

How to Make It Work:

• Adapt in real time. If A/B testing shows an underperforming element, tweak it mid-campaign to improve results.

• Look beyond donations. Analyze engagement and retention trends to refine future strategies.

By consistently testing and analyzing performance, nonprofits can optimize their outreach and increase fundraising success over time.

Final Thoughts

Addressing these omnichannel marketing challenges can unlock the full potential of your fundraising strategy. By integrating digital and direct mail efforts, personalizing donor communications, and continuously optimizing through A/B testing, nonprofits can strengthen engagement and build lasting donor relationships. A data-driven, unified approach leads to more impactful campaigns and long-term fundraising success.

The Importance of Mail Testing Tools in Email Marketing

Email marketing remains one of the most powerful and cost-effective ways to connect with your audience, build relationships, and drive sales. But there's one catch—your beautifully designed email campaign won’t matter if it never lands in your audience’s inbox. This is where mail testing tools come in.

In a world where inboxes are flooded with promotional content, standing out is tough, and deliverability is everything. Even a minor mistake or a small spam trigger in your email can send it straight to the spam folder. That’s why understanding how your email performs before hitting send is crucial—and why mail testing tools are a must-have in every marketer’s toolkit.

What Is Mail Testing?

Mail testing is the process of evaluating your email content, structure, and technical setup before launching your campaign. Think of it as a quality check for your emails.

A good mail testing tool checks:

• Spam score

• Sender reputation

• Header and DNS records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)

• HTML formatting

• Link validity

• Blacklist status

By analyzing these elements, mail testing tools help identify potential issues that could harm your email deliverability.

Why Spam Score Matters

One of the biggest aspects mail testing tools evaluate is the spam score of your email. Spam score is a calculated value based on how likely your email is to be flagged as spam by email providers like Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook.

Your spam score can be influenced by:

• Spam-trigger words (like "Free money", "Buy now", etc.)

• Poor HTML coding

• Lack of authentication protocols (like SPF/DKIM)

• Excessive links or images

• Blacklisted IP or domain

If your spam score is too high, your email won't make it to the primary inbox—even if your recipients subscribed to your list willingly. This can result in poor open rates, low engagement, and wasted effort.

The Cost of Ignoring Email Testing

Skipping email testing is like launching a product without QA. The consequences can be serious:

• Low Deliverability: Even if your content is perfect, technical issues can still send it to spam.

• Damage to Sender Reputation: ISPs track sender behavior. Frequent spam flags hurt your domain reputation.

• Lost Revenue: If emails don't land in the inbox, they can't convert.

• Wasted Resources: Time, money, and effort spent on creating campaigns can go down the drain if not tested properly.

Simply put, testing is not optional—it’s essential.

How Mail Testing Tools Help

Here’s how using a mail testing tool improves your email marketing performance:

1. Catch Problems Before You Hit Send

Mail testing tools give you a detailed view of what’s wrong with your email. Whether it’s a missing SPF record or spammy wording, you can fix it before your campaign goes live.

2. Boost Your Deliverability

By optimizing your email structure, authentication, and content, your chances of landing in the inbox increase dramatically.

3. Improve Campaign Performance

A well-tested email leads to better open rates, higher click-throughs, and improved conversions. Testing helps you get the best ROI from your email efforts.

4. Maintain a Healthy Sender Reputation

Mail testing ensures that your sending practices are clean and compliant, which helps you maintain a good sender score.

Try testmailscore.com – A Powerful, Free Mail Testing Tool

If you're looking for a reliable, user-friendly, and completely free mail testing tool, look no further than testmailscore.com.

This tool offers:

• A detailed spam score analysis

• Insights into email headers and authentication setup

• Breakdown of issues with recommendations

• Quick and intuitive UI

• No sign-up needed

Whether you're an email marketing newbie or a seasoned pro, testmailscore.com gives you advanced-level insights into your email campaign. It’s a must-use tool before you launch any serious email campaign.

Final Thoughts

Email marketing success isn’t just about catchy subject lines and beautiful templates. It starts with ensuring your email gets delivered. With spam filters becoming more advanced and user inboxes more crowded, mail testing tools are no longer optional—they’re essential.

By running your emails through a trusted testing tool like testmailscore.com, you can uncover hidden problems, optimize your campaigns, and improve your overall deliverability.

Remember: If your emails aren't reaching the inbox, they're not reaching your audience. So, always test before you send.

The End of the Email Marketing Honeymoon

Email marketing has been a powerhouse in ecommerce for years, delivering one of the highest returns on investment among all digital marketing channels. With direct access to an owned audience, the ability to schedule campaigns, and a strong track record in driving conversions, email has been a staple for businesses.

From transactional updates like order confirmations to promotional offers, editorial content, retargeting ads, and account verifications, email plays a crucial role in customer communication. But what happens when marketers can no longer guarantee that their messages are seen—or even measured accurately?

In 2025, major inbox changes are making it increasingly difficult to reach customers effectively. Here’s what’s changing and what it means for marketers.

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Gmail’s AI-Powered Search: A Game Changer

Gmail’s latest update brings artificial intelligence into the mix, reshaping how emails appear in inboxes. According to Adweek, Gmail’s AI-powered inbox now functions more like a social media feed rather than a chronological list of emails. This means that messages are no longer ranked purely by send time or keywords. Instead, factors like recency, engagement (how often a user clicks on emails), and frequent contacts influence what appears first.

For instance, in Gmail’s own example, a marketing email containing the keyword “reunion” was pushed to the bottom of search results—despite being the most recent. This shift means that email visibility is no longer a given, and marketers will need to rethink their strategies to stay on top.

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Stricter Spam Filters: A Growing Challenge

Email deliverability has never been foolproof. Since AOL introduced the first automated spam filter in 1994, email providers have been working to keep inboxes clean. Over the years, governments have reinforced these efforts with laws like the U.S. CAN-SPAM Act, reducing the flood of fraudulent emails.

However, even with these protections in place, legitimate emails—including transactional messages and security codes—sometimes land in spam folders or are blocked outright. As email filters become more sophisticated, marketers must work harder to maintain strong sender reputations and ensure their messages actually reach users.

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The Promotions Tab and AI-Powered Prioritization

Since 2013, Gmail has been categorizing marketing emails into a dedicated “Promotions” tab, making them less visible to users. Early reports showed that this change led to a noticeable drop in engagement.

Fast forward to 2025, and AI-driven inbox sorting takes this concept even further. Services like Yahoo Mail now display only a handful of messages when users open their inboxes, filtering out most promotional content. The days of assuming emails will be seen—even if they land in an inbox—are over. AI agents are now deciding what’s important, and marketing emails often don’t make the cut.

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Email Open Rates: A Flawed Metric

Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection (MPP), introduced in 2021, was a game-changer for email tracking. This feature prevents senders from accurately tracking open rates by preloading email images and reporting them as opened—even if the recipient never actually engaged with the email.

Within the first month of MPP’s launch, Twilio SendGrid reported that it inflated Apple Mail open rates by 22.9%. The same effect extended to Yahoo Mail, Outlook, and Gmail, making open rates an increasingly unreliable metric. Today, many email service providers attempt to estimate MPP’s impact, but AI-driven inbox changes only add to the complexity. Marketers can no longer rely on opens as a key performance indicator.

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Click Tracking: Less Reliable Than Ever

Tracking clicks has long been a go-to method for measuring email engagement and attributing sales. However, this data is becoming less reliable due to new privacy measures.

Apple Mail and Proton now strip URL parameters that identify individual subscribers, making it difficult to track user behavior across campaigns. Additionally, fraud-protection bots designed to detect phishing attacks often click on email links, creating false engagement data. Some email service providers are filtering out bot-generated clicks, but many still report them as legitimate.

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What This Means for Marketers

The golden age of email marketing is shifting. AI-driven inbox filtering, stricter spam controls, and privacy measures are making it harder to reach and track customers. Here’s what brands can do to adapt:

• Focus on Engagement: Encourage genuine interactions through valuable, highly relevant content.

• Optimize for Deliverability: Maintain a strong sender reputation and follow best practices to avoid spam filters.

• Shift to First-Party Data: Build relationships through loyalty programs, SMS marketing, and other direct channels.

• Adapt Tracking Methods: Use broader analytics, such as conversion rates and website activity, rather than relying solely on email metrics.

Email marketing isn’t dead, but the rules of the game are changing. Marketers who evolve with these shifts will continue to see success—while those who rely on outdated strategies may struggle to keep up.