Avoid losing your email account via "Error From Your Mail Server" fake emails

What kind of email is "Error From Your Mail Server"?

After inspecting the "Error From Your Mail Server" email, we determined that it is spam that operates as a phishing scam.

This letter makes false claims about emails failing to reach the recipient's inbox, which can be rectified by verifying the account again. The goal of this spam mail is to lure users into disclosing their email account log-in credentials, with which the cyber criminals can then steal the exposed accounts and associated content.

"Error From Your Mail Server" email scam overview

The email with the subject "Mail Delivery Issues in [recipient's_email_address]" (may vary) states that an error has occurred on the mail server. Due to this, four messages have failed to reach the recipient's inbox.

The fake notification advises to reactivate the session and try again. However, the message warns that unless the account is re-verified, the emails might not reach the inbox. The bogus letter instructs the recipient to log into their email account using the provided link in order to release the pending emails.

As mentioned in the introduction, the "Error From Your Mail Server" email is a scam - hence, none of its claims are true. When we clicked the "Restore Emails" button, we were redirected to a phishing site. This page requested the visitor to sign in with their email account to continue.

Phishing websites are designed to record the information entered into them - therefore, the email credentials (addresses and passwords) entered into such webpages will be disclosed to scammers.

Cyber criminals can also steal the content registered through an email. To expand upon how this unauthorized access can be abused - finance-related accounts (e.g., online banking, e-commerce, messengers, etc.) can be used to make fraudulent transactions and/or online purchases.

Scammers can pretend to be the genuine owner of a social account (e.g., email, social networking, messengers, etc.) and ask contacts/friends for loans or spread malware by sharing malicious files/links.

In summary, phishing emails like "Error From Your Mail Server" can cause severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even lead to identity theft.

If you have already provided your log-in credentials to a phishing website/file - immediately change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Error From Your Mail Server" phishing email
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Emails failed to reach the recipient's inbox.
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. ▼ 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.

Phishing spam campaign examples

We have analyzed countless spam emails; "You Have 3 Encrypted Documents", "2022 FIFA Lottery Award", and "Your Password Is Set To Expire" are a few examples of ones used for phishing.

In addition to various scams, this mail is used to proliferate trojans, ransomware, and other malware. Spam letters can wear a wide variety of disguises and make likewise varied claims. However, regardless of what these emails promise/warn/etc. - their sole purpose is to generate revenue at victims' expense.

Due to the prevalence of spam mail, we strongly advise exercising caution with incoming emails and messages.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Spam emails can contain malicious attachments or links. The virulent files distributed by this mail can be in various formats, e.g., archives, executables, Microsoft Office and PDF documents, JavaScript, etc.

When such a file is executed, run, or otherwise opened - the infection process is triggered. For example, Microsoft Office documents infect devices by executing malicious macro commands.

How to avoid installation of malware?

We highly recommend being vigilant with incoming mail. The attachments and links found in dubious/irrelevant emails and messages - must not be opened since that can lead to a malware infection. It is important to use post-2010 Microsoft Office versions, as they have the "Protected View" mode that prevents automatic macro command execution.

However, since malware is not proliferated exclusively through spam mail, we also advise downloading only from official and verified sources.

Additionally, all programs must be activated and updated with legitimate tools, as illegal activation ("cracking") tools and fake updates may contain malware. Another recommendation is to be careful when browsing since fraudulent and malicious content usually appears ordinary and innocuous.

We must stress that having a reputable anti-virus installed and kept up-to-date is paramount to device/user safety. 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 "Error From Your Mail Server" email letter:

Subject: Mail Delivery Issues in ********

Error From your Mail server

You're receiving this email because (4) of your incoming messages in "********" has failed to be delivered.

Kindly, try re-activating new session and retry again.

To avoid deleting this mails, kindly use the below link to login and restore these emails to your inbox.

Restore Emails

Note: Your emails may not be delivered until you verify your account session.  

This message is from  ********

Mail Support team ******** Services.

Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by the "Error From Your Mail Server" 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 "Error From Your Mail Server" 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. These letters are distributed in massive campaigns - therefore, thousands of users receive identical ones.

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

If you have disclosed account credentials - change the passwords of all potentially exposed accounts and inform their official support without delay. And if you have provided other private data (e.g., ID card details, credit card numbers, etc.) - immediately contact the appropriate authorities.

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

No, opening a spam email will not trigger any malware download/installation chains. Systems are infected when the attachments or links found in spam mail are opened/clicked.

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

If the file was an executable (.exe, .run, etc.) - most likely, yes - your device was infected. However, you might have avoided it if the opened file was a document (.doc, .xls, .pdf, etc.). These formats may require additional actions (e.g., enabling macro commands) to begin downloading/installing malicious software.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Yes, Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and eliminating nearly all known malware infections. It is noteworthy that sophisticated malware typically hides deep within systems - therefore, performing a full system scan is essential for its detection.

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