Avoid losing your email account via "336 Parts B.V." phishing email
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What kind of email is "336 Parts B.V."?
After analyzing the "336 Parts B.V." email, we determined that it is spam. This email concerns a fake invoice to view which - recipients are asked to log in again using their email account. However, the sign-in page is a phishing website designed to record the information provided to it.
Therefore, users can lose their email accounts and content associated with them by attempting to log in through the webpage promoted by "336 Parts B.V.".
"336 Parts B.V." email scam overview
The email with the subject "336 Parts B.V. Invoice (Ref INVOICE1522)" (may vary) indicates that the recipient's invoice amounting to 41,665.00€ is attached to it. The letter requests the recipient to remit the payment and reassures that the (email) sender can be contacted should any questions arise.
Spam emails that mention large sums primarily go two ways: either they scare users into thinking that they will have to pay the money or excite them into believing that they will receive it. Manipulating strong emotions is commonly used in all types of scams.
What is interesting about the "336 Parts B.V." letters - is their use of the word "remit" in relation to the massive sum of money. These two definitions of the word - "cancel or refrain from exacting or inflicting (a debt or punishment)" and "send (money) in payment or as a gift" - because, in the context of the email, they mean different things. It can be interpreted that recipients need to "remit" the payment - cancel it (so that this sum will not be subtracted from their bank accounts) or send it - pay the forty thousand.
The confusion this inspires can easily trick the recipient into clicking the "View Invoice" button in this email and thus being redirected to the phishing website. It is presented as an email account sign-in page, and any log-in credentials (passwords) entered into it will be disclosed to the scammers behind the "336 Parts B.V." spam campaign.
In addition to stealing the exposed email, the cyber criminals may hijack the accounts that were registered using it. To expand upon how they can be used - communication platforms (e.g., emails, social networking, social media, etc.) can be employed to spread malware by sharing malicious files/links. The criminals can also pretend to be the account's genuine owner and ask their contacts/friends for loans.
Finance-related accounts (e.g., online banking, money transferring, e-commerce, etc.) can be used to make fraudulent transactions and online purchases.
In summary, by trusting emails like "336 Parts B.V." - users can experience severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.
| Name | 336 Parts B.V. phishing email |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Email has an invoice attached to it, which needs to be remitted. |
| Related Domains | ipfs[.]io |
| Detection Names (ipfs[.]io) | CRDF (Malicious), Emsisoft (Phishing), Fortinet (Phishing), Kaspersky (Phishing), Sophos (Phishing), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
| Serving IP Address (ipfs[.]io) | 209.94.90.1 |
| 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. |
Spam campaigns in general
We have inspected countless emails similar to "336 Parts B.V."; "SYSTEM NOTIFICATION", "Please find attached receipt", and "Trezor email scam" are merely a few examples of the phishing letters we have analyzed recently.
This mail is typically presented as "urgent", "important", "priority", and similar. It can even be disguised as messages from legitimate institutions, authorities, organizations, companies, service providers, and other entities. Aside from phishing and other scams, spam emails are also used to proliferate malware (e.g., trojans, ransomware, etc.).
Due to how widespread this mail is, we strongly advise exercising caution with incoming emails and messages.
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Spam emails can have virulent files attached to them. Alternatively, these letters can contain links leading to the download of such files (e.g., malicious sites designed to infiltrate malware into systems or trick visitors into downloading/installing it themselves).
Infectious files can be Microsoft Office and PDF documents, executables, archives, JavaScript, etc. When a malicious file is opened - the infection chain is triggered. For example, Microsoft Office documents infect systems by executing malicious macro commands.
How to avoid installation of malware?
We highly recommend exercising care with incoming mail. The attachments and links present in dubious/irrelevant emails and messages - must not be opened as that can result in an infection. Another recommendation is using Microsoft Office versions released after 2010 since they have "Protected View" mode that prevents automatic execution of macros.
Malware is not spread exclusively via spam mail. Therefore, we also advise downloading only from official/verified sources and activating/updating programs with tools provided by legitimate developers (as illegal activation "cracking" tools and fake updates can cause system infections).
It is paramount to have a reputable anti-virus installed and kept updated. Security software must be used to run regular system scans and to remove detected threats. 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 "336 Parts B.V." scam email letter:
Subject: 336 Parts B.V. Invoice (Ref INVOICE1522)
Your Invoice
INVOICE1522 336 Parts B.V.
Dear -
Here is your invoice INVOICE1522 (with reference: SO565) amounting in 41,665.00 € from 336 Parts B.V.. Please remit payment at your earliest convenience.
Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any question.
View Invoice
Best regards,
--
Administrator
336 Parts B.V.
M: +447930242285 M:+447767144988 | info@336partsbv.com
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Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by the "336 Parts B.V." spam campaign:
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Quick menu:
- What is 336 Parts B.V. 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. Hence, many users have received the "336 Parts B.V." email.
I have provided my personal information when tricked by this spam email, what should I do?
If you have provided your account log-in credentials - change the passwords of all potentially compromised accounts and inform their official support without delay. And if you have disclosed other private data (e.g., ID card details, credit card numbers, etc.) - immediately contact relevant authorities.
I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?
No, simply reading a spam email will not trigger any system infection processes. Malware download/installation is initiated when the attachments or links found in these letters are opened/clicked.
I have downloaded and opened a file attached to a spam email, is my computer infected?
Whether an infection occurred may depend on the opened file's format. Executables (.exe, .run, etc.) cause infections almost without fail once they are opened. However, document formats (.doc, .xls, .pdf, etc.) can require additional user interaction (e.g., enabling macro commands) - to start downloading/installing malware.
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?
Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and eliminate practically all of the known malware infections. It has to be stressed that running a complete system scan is crucial - since sophisticated malicious programs typically hide deep within systems.
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