Do not trust "Your eMail account will be disconnected" phishing email
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is "Your eMail account will be disconnected" email?
The "Your eMail account will be disconnected" email is a new find by our research team. Having inspected this letter, we determined that it is a phishing email. It targets recipients' email credentials with false claims about their accounts' impending suspension.
"Your eMail account will be disconnected" email scam overview
The spam email with the subject "Your Mailbox "[recipient's_email_address]" Supension Notice" (may vary) will be unable to send/receive mail due to unresolved errors. This scam letter states that the recipient has 48 hours to address the issues, else their email account will be disconnected and suspended.
The "RETRIEVE ACCOUNT NOW" button redirects to a phishing site that is presented as an email sign-in page. Passwords provided to this website will be exposed to the cyber criminals behind this spam campaign.
In addition to gaining control over the compromised email account, scammers may access the content associated with it. For example, criminals may steal the accounts registered with the exposed email.
Communication platforms (e.g., emails, social networking, etc.) can be used to ask the owner's contacts for loans or to spread malware (by sharing malicious files/links). Finance-related accounts (e.g., online banking, e-commerce, digital wallets, etc.) can be used to make fraudulent transactions and online purchases.
In summary, by trusting the "Your eMail account will be disconnected" spam email, users can experience severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.
| Name | Your eMail account will be disconnected phishing email |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Email account will be suspended unless errors are resolved. |
| Disguise | Notification from "Microsoft Security Team". |
| Related Domains | sevenwild[.]com |
| Detection Names (sevenwild[.]com) | Avira (Phishing), Combo Cleaner (Malware), CRDF (Malicious), CyRadar (Malicious), Kaspersky (Phishing), Full List Of Detections (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 email examples
"Web Access for the 2022 version", "Update required to avoid login interruption", and "Cornèrcard email scam" are just a few examples of the phishing emails we have analyzed.
Spam mail usually appears legitimate and may be disguised as messages from genuine entities (e.g., authorities, companies, service providers, etc.). However, in addition to phishing and other scams, these emails are also employed to proliferate malware (e.g., trojans, ransomware, etc.).
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Spam emails can contain malicious files as attachments or links (leading to malware-spreading websites). These files can be archives, executables, PDF and Microsoft Office documents, JavaScript, etc. Once such a file is opened - the infection chain is triggered.
For example, Microsoft Office documents infect systems upon opening in pre-2010 MS versions - by executing malicious macro commands. Later Microsoft Office versions have "Protected View" mode; hence, infection is only initiated after users manually enable macros (i.e., editing/content). It is noteworthy that virulent documents often contain messages designed to trick users into doing so.
How to avoid installation of malware?
We highly recommend exercising caution with incoming emails and messages. The attachments and links found in suspicious mail - must not be opened/clicked. Additionally, we advise using Microsoft Office versions released after 2010.
Since malware is not distributed exclusively through spam mail, we have other recommendations regarding system safety. It is crucial to download only from official and verified sources. Furthermore, all programs must be activated and updated with functions/tools provided by genuine developers, as those obtained from third-parties can contain malware.
We must emphasize the importance of having a dependable anti-virus installed and updated. Security software must be used to perform regular system scans and to remove threats/issues. 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 "Your eMail account will be disconnected" email letter:
Subject: Your Mailbox "********" Supension Notice
******** Webmail
Dear postmaster,
Your eMail account ******** will be disconnected from sending or receiving mail from other users because you failed to resolve errors on your mail.
You have 48 hours to retrieve your account or your account will be suspended.
Kindly follow the instructions below to retrieve your ******** account now.
RETRIEVE ACCOUNT NOW
Regards,
******** Microsoft Security Team
Copyright © 2022
Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by "Your eMail account will be disconnected" spam campaign:
Another example of an email from "Your Email Account Will Be Disconnected" spam campaign:
Text presented within:
Subject: Immediate Action Requested
Dear ********,
Your account ******** will be disconnected from sending or receiving emails from other users because you have failed to resolve errors in your mail. You need to resolve the errors or your account will be disconnected.
Follow the instruction below to resolve now.RESOLVE ISSUE NOW
Sincerely,
********
©Microsoft Security Team
Another example of an email from "Your Email Account Will Be Disconnected" spam campaign:
Text presented within:
Subject: Deactivation Notice: You have 24 hours left!
********
EMAIL SERVERDear ********,
Your email ******** account will be disconnected from
******** email service provider
If you fail to upgrade your email account on or before
(Tuesdy 30th January 2024).Re-authenticate now to upgrade immediately.
UPGRADE NOWRegards
******** Email Administrator
Webmail IncThis Email was sent to ******** as a regular new subscriber to us. You can always unsubscribe, whenever you want.
Screenshot of the promoted phishing site:
Yet another example of an email from "Your Email Account Will Be Disconnected" spam campaign:
Text presented within:
Subject: Security alert -MailRef#529162060291#-
©******** Security Team
Good day ********,
Your account will be disconnected from sending or receiving mails from other users. because you Continually neglect to resolve or Install My ******** App On Android & iPhone errors on your mail.
You need to resolve the errors or your account will be disconnected today.
Follow the instruction below to resolve now.
RESOLVE ISSUE NOW
Regards.
©******** Security Team.
5/6/2024 6:17:42 p.m.
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Quick menu:
- What is Your eMail account will be disconnected phishing email?
- 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. Cyber criminals distribute them by the thousand - with the hopes that at least some of the recipients will fall for their scam.
I have provided my personal information when tricked by this spam email, what should I do?
If you have provided account credentials - change the passwords of all potentially exposed accounts and inform their official support without delay. And if you have disclosed other private data (e.g., credit card numbers, ID card details, etc.) - immediately contact relevant authorities.
I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?
No, reading a spam email will not trigger any infection processes. Malware download/installation is initiated when the files attached to these emails - are opened, or when malicious websites are accessed by clicking the links in said letters.
I have downloaded and opened a file attached to a spam email, is my computer infected?
Whether an infection occurred can depend on the opened file's format. If it was an executable - most likely, yes - the system was infected. However, document formats (e.g., .doc, .xls, .pdf, etc.) may require additional actions (e.g., macro command enablement) to begin downloading/installing malware.
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?
Yes, Combo Cleaner can scan devices, detect and eliminate most of the known malware infections. However, it must be stressed that performing a complete system scan is essential - since high-end malware typically hides deep within the system.
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