Google announced today that it will roll out a feature for Google+ that lets anyone send you a message directly to your Gmail inbox using the social network.
That means anyone can send you an email through Gmail, just by looking up your profile on Google+. The downside? Google has this feature switched on by default, so if you don't want people sending you unsolicited Gmail messages using Google+, you'll have to switch it off.
The feature isn't available to everyone yet, so keep your eye on it. Here's how to switch it off when you do get it though:
Under settings, you'll see a section marked "Email via Google+." It's best to switch the option to "No one" if you want to block people from sending you emails through Google+. You'll also have the option to only let people you have in your Circles send you a message.
Gmail Blog
If you do get an email from someone in Google+, it'll show up in the primary tab in your inbox if they're already in one of your Google+ circles. If not, their email will be filtered into the "Social" tab. This is probably Google's way of eliminating people from spamming you using Google+. Still, it's best to just switch the feature off completely.
Gmail Blog