Hackers hit Gmail, Yahoo too

First Microsoft's Hotmail, now Gmail and Yahoo email users have been duped by hackers.

A day after cyber-criminals posted thousands of Hotmail addresses and passwords online, Google reported a similar "phishing" scam compromised some Gmail accounts.

Yahoo also said a "limited number" of its email account passwords were made public, media reports said.

All three companies stressed their own security wasn't hacked. Cyber-crims tricked people into telling them their passwords, or tricked them into downloading malicious software.

Phishing scammers often send emails purporting to be from auction sites and email providers to lure people into revealing personal details.

- © Fairfax NZ News