Do not click the link in "Here's your PayPal invoice" malspam emails

What kind of email is "Here's your PayPal invoice"?

Phishing emails (malspam campaigns) are one of the most common malware delivery channels. Usually, they are disguised as important or urgent messages from legitimate companies, organizations, institutions, and other entities.

Cyber criminals send them to trick recipients into clicking a link and opening a malicious file, or opening a malicious attachment designed to infect computers with rogue software.

This phishing email is used to deliver Agent Tesla, a remote administration/access trojan (RAT).

"Here's your PayPal invoice" email virus overview

This email is disguised as a message from GQH Co., Ltd regarding an invoice for $3,590.00. It contains the "View and Pay Invoice" button, a hyperlink that downloads a RAR archive file. This contains a malicious executable file named "Invoice from GHQ CO.LTD (683814).exe" (its name may vary).

The main purpose of this phishing email is to trick recipients into executing the file, which then installs Agent Tesla. RAT is often used by cyber criminals to steal credentials and other sensitive information via screenshots, keyboard logging (keyboard input recording), and clipboard capture.

They can use it to hijack (steal) personal accounts, email clients, messaging clients, FTP and VPN clients, download managers, etc., and use them for malicious purposes. For example, to steal identities, make fraudulent purchases and transactions, and to spread Agent Tesla and other malware further (and tricking other users into installing it).

This RAT is capable of blocking access to Task Manager and the system registry, and executing commands via Command Prompt. Therefore, cyber criminals can use Agent Tesla to install additional malware, disable or even uninstall security solutions, and perform many other functions.

Threat Summary:

Name	Here's your PayPal invoice spam
Threat Type	Trojan, password-stealing virus, banking malware, spyware.
Hoax	Email attachment is an invoice from a company named GHQ CO.LTD
Attachment(s)	Malicious RAR file
Detection Names	Avast (Win32:PWSX-gen [Trj]), BitDefender (Trojan.GenericKD.36384422), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of MSIL/Kryptik.ZTA), Kaspersky (HEUR:Trojan-Spy.MSIL.Noon.gen), Microsoft (Trojan:MSIL/AgentTesla.AL!MTB), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Cybercriminals' Phone Numbers	+1 (888) 316-1275, (888) 351-2056, (877) 596-4101, (855)-994-3888‬, (866) 329-6514, 810-215-0479, (866) 713-5346, (833) 398-2501‬, (828) 668-5283
Symptoms	Trojans are designed to stealthily infiltrate the victim's computer and remain silent, and thus no particular symptoms are clearly visible on an infected machine.
Payload	Agent Tesla
Distribution methods	Infected email attachments, malicious online advertisements, social engineering, software 'cracks'.
Damage	Stolen passwords and banking information, identity theft, the victim's computer added to a botnet.
Malware Removal (Windows)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Malspam campaign examples

"International Air & Sea Freight Forwarder", "KROHNE Email Virus", and "Cobra Industrial Machines Email Virus" are some examples of other malspam campaigns that cybercriminals use to deliver malware via malicious email attachments (or website links).

Ensure that it is safe to open email attachments or website links in emails - just a few clicks can lead to serious problems (typically, installation of malware).

More examples of malware that cyber criminals deliver using bogus emails are LokiBot, Emotet, Ursnif, and Mekotio.

How did "Here's your PayPal invoice email virus" infect my computer?

Cyber criminals behind this malspam campaign achieve their goal when recipients download the attached archive file, extract its contents and execute the extracted malicious executable file (at the time of research, a file named "Invoice from GHQ CO.LTD (683814).exe").

Phishing emails that are used to deliver malware generally contain a download link for a malicious file or attachment. Typically, cyber criminals attempt to trick recipients into opening a PDF or Microsoft Office document, JavaScript file, an executable file (.exe), ZIP, RAR, or other archive file that is designed to install specific malicious software.

Note that malicious MS Office documents can install malware only when users enable editing/content (macros commands). If the documents are opened with MS Office versions prior to 2010, however, the documents install malicious software automatically, since these older versions do not include "Protected View" mode.

How to avoid installation of malware

Download software and files from official websites and via direct links. It is not safe to use torrent clients, eMule (or other Peer-to-Peer networks), third party downloaders, unofficial websites or other sources of this kind.

Avoid third party installers. Check "Advanced", "Custom" and other settings, and decline offers to download or install unwanted software. Do not click ads that are displayed on dubious websites, since they can open other untrusted websites or even cause unwanted downloads and installations.

Remove any unwanted, suspicious applications (extensions, add-ons, and plug-ins) that are installed on the browser. The same should be applied to programs of this kind that are installed on the operating system.

Regularly scan your computer with reputable antivirus or anti-spyware software and keep this software up to date.

If you have already opened a "Here's your PayPal invoice email virus" attachment, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.

Appearance of the phishing email (GIF):

Text in the email message:

Subject: Invoice from GQH CO.,LTD (683814)

Here's your invoice

GQH CO.,LTD sent you an invoice for $3,590.00 USD

Due date: February 16, 2020

View and Pay Invoice

Buy now Pay over time.

Help & Contact | Security | Apps

Agent Tesla running in Task Manager as "Thesis Nana" (its name may vary):

Malicious executable used to distribute Agent Tesla detected as a threat in Virustotal:

A scam variant (trying to trick users into contacting cyber criminals) of PayPal invoice-themed spam email:

Text presented within:

Subject: Invoice J828R313974 from PPal Sales
 
INVOICE NO. J828R313974 DETAILS
Authorized PayPal Payments
PayPal Holdings, Inc

PP-ABP02 Sales Dept.

$1,135.91
Review and pay
Powered by QuickBooks

We appreciate your business. Please find your invoice details below. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

Nancy Williams
Paypal Product Manager
(888) 351-2056
Have a great day!
Invoice to
Merchant ID P78RY8249132
Terms
Due on receipt
01/25/2023
Product

$1,135.91
Nikon Z 40 Mirrorless Digital Camera Bundle Pack
1 X $1,135.91
Balance due $1,135.91
Review and pay
PP-ABP02 Sales Dept.
(888) 351-2056
If you receive an email that seems fraudulent, please check with the business owner before paying.
© Intuit, Inc. All rights reserved.
Privacy | Security | Terms of Service

Screenshot of another variant of an email from "Here's your PayPal Invoice" spam campaign:

Instant automatic malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

• What is Here's your PayPal invoice spam?
• Types of malicious emails.
• How to spot a malicious email?
• What to do if you fell for an email scam?

Types of malicious emails:

Phishing Emails

Most commonly, cybercriminals use deceptive emails to trick Internet users into giving away their sensitive private information, for example, login information for various online services, email accounts, or online banking information.

Such attacks are called phishing. In a phishing attack, cybercriminals usually send an email message with some popular service logo (for example, Microsoft, DHL, Amazon, Netflix), create urgency (wrong shipping address, expired password, etc.), and place a link which they hope their potential victims will click on.

After clicking the link presented in such email message, victims are redirected to a fake website that looks identical or extremely similar to the original one. Victims are then asked to enter their password, credit card details, or some other information that gets stolen by cybercriminals.

Emails with Malicious Attachments

Another popular attack vector is email spam with malicious attachments that infect users' computers with malware. Malicious attachments usually carry trojans that are capable of stealing passwords, banking information, and other sensitive information.

In such attacks, cybercriminals' main goal is to trick their potential victims into opening an infected email attachment. To achieve this goal, email messages usually talk about recently received invoices, faxes, or voice messages.

If a potential victim falls for the lure and opens the attachment, their computers get infected, and cybercriminals can collect a lot of sensitive information.

While it's a more complicated method to steal personal information (spam filters and antivirus programs usually detect such attempts), if successful, cybercriminals can get a much wider array of data and can collect information for a long period of time.

Sextortion Emails

This is a type of phishing. In this case, users receive an email claiming that a cybercriminal could access the webcam of the potential victim and has a video recording of one's masturbation.

To get rid of the video, victims are asked to pay a ransom (usually using Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency). Nevertheless, all of these claims are false - users who receive such emails should ignore and delete them.

How to spot a malicious email?

While cyber criminals try to make their lure emails look trustworthy, here are some things that you should look for when trying to spot a phishing email:

• Check the sender's ("from") email address: Hover your mouse over the "from" address and check if it's legitimate. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft, be sure to check if the email address is @microsoft.com and not something suspicious like @m1crosoft.com, @microsfot.com, @account-security-noreply.com, etc.
• Check for generic greetings: If the greeting in the email is "Dear user", "Dear @youremail.com", "Dear valued customer", this should raise suspiciousness. Most commonly, companies call you by your name. Lack of this information could signal a phishing attempt.
• Check the links in the email: Hover your mouse over the link presented in the email, if the link that appears seems suspicious, don't click it. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft and the link in the email shows that it will go to firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0... you shouldn't trust it. It's best not to click any links in the emails but to visit the company website that sent you the email in the first place.
• Don't blindly trust email attachments: Most commonly, legitimate companies will ask you to log in to their website and to view any documents there; if you received an email with an attachment, it's a good idea to scan it with an antivirus application. Infected email attachments are a common attack vector used by cybercriminals.

To minimise the risk of opening phishing and malicious emails we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows. 

Example of a spam email:

What to do if you fell for an email scam?

• If you clicked on a link in a phishing email and entered your password - be sure to change your password as soon as possible. Usually, cybercriminals collect stolen credentials and then sell them to other groups that use them for malicious purposes. If you change your password in a timely manner, there's a chance that criminals won't have enough time to do any damage.
• If you entered your credit card information - contact your bank as soon as possible and explain the situation. There's a good chance that you will need to cancel your compromised credit card and get a new one.
• If you see any signs of identity theft - you should immediately contact the Federal Trade Commission. This institution will collect information about your situation and create a personal recovery plan.
• If you opened a malicious attachment - your computer is probably infected, you should scan it with a reputable antivirus application. For this purpose, we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.
• Help other Internet users - report phishing emails to Anti-Phishing Working Group, FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, National Fraud Information Center and U.S. Department of Justice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why did I receive this email?

Spam emails are not personal. These letters are distributed in mass-scale campaigns – hence, thousands of users receive identical emails.

I have provided my personal information when tricked by this spam email, what should I do?

If you have provided log-in credentials – change the passwords of all possibly compromised accounts and contact their official support without delay. And if you've disclosed other private information (e.g., ID card details, credit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact the corresponding authorities.

I have allowed cyber criminals to remotely access my computer, what should I do?

If you've allowed cyber criminals to access your computer remotely, you must first disconnect it from the Internet. Secondly, remove the remote access software that the criminals used (e.g., TeamViewer, UltraViewer, AnyDesk, etc.), as they may not need your consent to reconnect. Lastly, perform a full system scan and remove any detected infections.

I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?

No, reading an email will not infect your device. Malware download/installation processes are triggered when malicious attachments or links are opened/clicked.

I have downloaded and opened a file attached to a spam email, is my computer infected?

Whether your device was infected might depend on the opened file's format. If it was an executable (.exe, .run, etc.) – most likely, yes – the system was infected. However, you might have avoided it if the file was a document (.doc, .xls, .pdf, etc.). These formats may require additional user interaction (e.g., enabling macro commands) to begin downloading/installing malware.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Yes, Combo Cleaner is designed to detect and remove threats. It is capable of eliminating nearly all known malware infections. Keep in mind that since high-end malicious software tends to hide deep within systems – performing a full system scan is essential.

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