How to recognize a phishing email like Account Security Info Update?
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is Account Security Info Update email scam?
Emails used to trick recipients into providing personal information are disguised as letters from legitimate companies, organizations, or other entities. Most of them contain a website link designed to open a deceptive website. Scammers behind this email attempt to trick recipients into providing email login credentials.
Account Security Info Update email scam in detail
Scammers use this email to trick recipients into providing email addresses and passwords used to log into their email accounts. They claim that recipients need to update their accounts due to updates in Windows services agreements. Scammers encourage recipients to click the "UPGRADE NOW" button to update their accounts
The purpose of this email is to trick recipients into believing that their email accounts will be disabled if not updated and providing their email addresses and passwords on a fake Yahoo (or other email service provider) website.
It is important to know that scammers could try to use the stolen login credentials to access other accounts as well. Thus, it is strongly recommended not to use the same login credentials for multiple accounts. Passwords provided on fake websites should be changed as soon as possible.
| Name | Account Security Info Update Email Scam |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Email account will be disabled if not updated as soon as possible |
| Disguise | Letter from email service provider |
| Related Domain | evergreensaladbar[.]com |
| Detecion Names (evergreensaladbar[.]com) | CRDF (Malicious), CyRadar (Malicious), Fortinet (Phishing), Webroot (Malicious), Full List (VirusTotal) |
| Symptoms | Unauthorized online purchases, changed online account passwords, identity theft, illegal access of the computer. |
| Distribution methods | Deceptive emails, rogue online pop-up ads, search engine poisoning techniques, misspelled domains. |
| Damage | Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft. |
| Malware Removal (Windows) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. |
Phishing emails in general
Scammers use email to trick recipients into providing usernames, email addresses, passwords, credit card details, social security numbers, and other information that could be misused for malicious purposes (monetized in fraudulent ways). More examples of similar emails are "Gas Sensing Solutions (GSS)", "Storage Server Failure", and "MoneyGram".
Emails can be used to deliver malicious software (for example, ransomware, Trojans). Those emails look like letters from legitimate entities as well.
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Cybercriminals behind malicious emails attempt to trick recipients into opening malicious attachments or download links for malicious files. Most of them use Microsoft Office documents, PDF documents, ex executable files, JavaScript files, or archive files to deliver malware via emails. Recipients install malware by opening those files.
If opened with Microsoft Office 2010 or later, malicious documents do not install malware unless users enable macros commands (editing, content). Malicious documents opened with earlier MS Office versions do not ask for permission to enable macros commands - they infect computers once they are opened.
How to avoid installation of malware?
Installed programs have to be updated and activated with tools or implemented functions provided/designed by their official developers. Attachments and links in irrelevant emails received from unknown, suspicious addresses should not be opened. Software and files should be downloaded from official websites and through direct links.
A computer should be scanned for malware or other threats regularly. It is recommended to scan it with a reputable antivirus or anti-spyware software. That software should be kept up to date.
If you've already opened malicious attachments, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.
Text presented in the Account Security Info Update email scam:
Subject: ******** Almost Full ******** Kindly Update
Account Security Info Update
Your Mailbox will expire on AUGUST 30TH , 2021
This is to notify you that we are currently updating the windows services agreement and privacy statement.
Please keep your security information updated.
Do not ignore!
UPGRADE NOW
NOTE: YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS WILL BE DISABLED IF NOT UPDATED. (UPDATE IS FREE)
Thank you for using our services
Email Administrator.
Fake Yahoo login website used to steal email addresses and passwords:
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Quick menu:
- What is Account Security Info Update 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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