Avoid infecting your system with malware via "SGBM" scam emails

What is the "SGBM" scam email?

"SGBM email virus" is the name of a malware-proliferating spam campaign. The term "spam campaign" defines a mass-scale operation during which thousands of deceptive emails are sent.

The letters distributed through this campaign - are presented as product quotations. The file attached to these scam emails supposedly contains the quotation; however, it triggers download/installation of the FormBook malicious program - upon opening.

The "SGBM" scam emails (subject/title "NEW ORDER"; may vary) simply request recipients to review the quotation attached to them. These letters also include real logos and other seemingly legitimate graphical details, the presence of which is intended to increase the appearance of legitimacy.

Once the attached archive ("NEW ORDER.pdf.z"; may vary) is opened and the executable file ("NEW ORDER.exe"; may vary) therein is run - FormBook malware's infection chain is jumpstarted. This piece of malicious software is designed to steal sensitive, personal, and confidential information from infected systems.

FormBook can monitor computer and browsing activity. It can take screenshots and record key-strokes (keylogging). Additionally, FormBook can extract information from browsers and other installed applications.

Data of interest includes (but is not limited to): browsing and search engine histories, log-in credentials (IDs, email addresses, usernames, and passwords), information stored in the clipboard (copy-paste buffer), personally identifiable details, financial data (e.g., banking account details and credit card numbers).

Another heinous ability of FormBook is causing chain infections. In other words, this malware can download/install additional malicious programs (e.g., ransomware, trojans, cryptocurrency miners, etc.).

In summary, by trusting the "SGBM" scam letters, users can experience multiple system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft. If it is known/suspected that FormBook (or other malware) has already infected the device - an anti-virus must be used to remove it without delay.

Threat Summary:

Name	SGBM spam
Threat Type	Trojan, password-stealing virus, banking malware, spyware.
Hoax	Scam emails are disguised as product quotations.
Attachment(s)	NEW ORDER.pdf.z containing NEW ORDER.exe (filenames may vary)
Detection Names	Avast (Win32:Malware-gen), BitDefender (Trojan.GenericKD.46311049), ESET-NOD32 (Win32/Formbook.AA), Kaspersky (HEUR:Backdoor.Win32.Remcos.gen), Microsoft (Trojan:Win32/Woreflint.A!cl), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
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	FormBook
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.

"OCEANIC PROJECTS Email Virus", "WMS Technologies Email Virus", "Seojoong Logistics DMCC Email Virus" - are a few examples of spam campaigns aiming to spread malware. The letters sent through these large-scale operations are typically disguised as "official", "urgent", "important", and similar.

The goal is to abuse the recipients' emotions (e.g., alarm, surprise, elation, curiosity, confusion, etc.), thereby tricking them into opening links, attached files, or following some other provided instructions. However, spam campaigns are not used for malware proliferation exclusively.

They are also employed to facilitate phishing and other scams. It is strongly advised to exercise caution with incoming mail.

How did "SGBM email virus" infect my computer?

Spam campaigns proliferate malware via infectious files distributed through them. These files can be attached to the scam emails, or they can contain download links of such content.

Malicious files can be in various formats, e.g., archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), Microsoft Office and PDF documents, JavaScript, and so forth. When the files are opened - the infection chain (i.e., malware download/installation) is initiated.

For example, Microsoft Office documents infect systems by executing malicious macro commands. This process begins automatically when a document is opened in Microsoft Office versions released prior to 2010.

Later versions have "Protected View" mode, which allows users to manually enable macros (i.e., editing/content) and warns them of the potential risks.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Suspect and irrelevant emails must not be opened, especially any attachments or links present in them. Additionally, it is recommended to use Microsoft Office versions released after 2010.

Aside from spam campaigns, malware is also spread through dubious download channels (e.g., unofficial and free file-hosting websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks, etc.), illegal activation ("cracking") tools, and fraudulent updates.

Therefore, it is advised to download only from official and verified sources. Furthermore, software must be activated and updated with tools/functions provided by genuine developers.

To ensure device integrity and user privacy, it is crucial to have a dependable anti-virus/anti-spyware suite installed and kept updated. These programs have to be used to perform regular system scans and remove detected threats.

If you've already opened "SGBM email virus" attachment, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.

Text presented in the "SGBM" scam email letter:

Subject: NEW ORDER

 

Dear Sir,

 

Kindly, find the attached quotation.

 

Thank you.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Engr. Ghazanfar RAza
MD, Shaan Global BMT LLC
+971 4 3330793 | 0509142082 |  ghazanfar@sgbmdxb.com
www.sgbmdxb.com
Ras AI  Khor Ind 2, Dubai, UAE

Screenshot of VirusTotal detections of the malicious attachment distributed via "SGBM" spam campaign:

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▼ 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 SGBM 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.

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