Google now rejects scam email that tricks you using non-Latin characters

Google did a favor for Gmail users worldwide when it added support for non-Latin characters in email addresses. However, it also opened up a can of worms -- scammers can write from addresses that seem legitimate, but are really using non-native letters to (potentially) fool you into trusting a message's contents. Thankfully, the crew in Mountain View is already aware of the threat. Gmail now tosses out email with odd combinations of letters that are likely to represent phishing attempts, reducing the chances that you'll hand your account details to a "bɑnk" instead of your actual bank. The filtering relies on a Unicode standard, too, so you'll know the exact criteria Google is using. Other email providers will have to follow suit for the measure to really hit data thieves where it hurts, but this represents an important first step.