There is a growing suspicion that Google Pixel smartphones mailed in for repairs are being tampered with after the repairs and before being sent back to the owners. Game designer Jane McGonigal has relived her experience with her Pixel 5a smartphone which she mailed for repairs to a Texas Google facility. She claims that the smartphone was hacked into and someone used the smartphone to log into her Gmail account, Drive, photos backup email account, and dropbox.

McGonigal is advising against mail-in servicing of users of Google Pixel phones, as the device could be hacked. McGonigal also said that most of the photos opened by the hackers were of her at various stages of undress, with the intruders looking for nude photos that could be used against her. She also alleged that the hackers deleted Google security notifications in her backup email accounts, obviously aimed at covering their trail.

There has been another case relating to the same Texas facility where McGonigal mailed her Pixel smartphone, and it was alleged that the hackers went as far as accessing the user’s Paypal account and made a $5 transfer. These accusations are grave and are bound to hurt Google if drastic actions are not seen to be taken. Although no official statement has been made yet by Google, McGonigal hints that back-channel communication on the matter indicates that it is under review by Google.

McGonigal is advising that persons desirous of having their smartphones repaired/replaced should consider other ways of getting the stuff down rather than mailing the device to Google. The McGonigal issue could have grave implications for Google, and even litigation, as happened to Apple in a similar case.

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