Avoid getting scammed by spam emails promoting a fake Qtumcoin website

What kind of email is "Qtumcoin[.]net"?

"Qtumcoin[.]net email scam" refers to a spam campaign comprising emails aiming to deceive recipients' into transferring cryptocurrency to a fake Qtum website. The letters we inspected claimed that a deposit had been made to the recipients' cryptowallets and lured them into visiting the aforementioned site.

"Qtumcoin[.]net" email scam overview

The email with the subject "Bitcoin Payment Successfull" (may vary) states that, as per the agreement, 85.7777 has been transferred to the recipient's Bitcoin portfolio. Presumably, the fake transfer is in the Bitcoin cryptocurrency, meaning that the nonexistent funds would be currently worth close to two million USD (note that exchange rates constantly fluctuate; the conversion may no longer be accurate).

The scam email also lists the log-in credentials (i.e., customer ID and password) of the wallet to which the funds were transferred. There is also a link that supposedly leads to the wallet. The fake site's URL – "qtumcoin[.]net" – is legitimate-sounding and close to Qtum's official website – qtum.org.

When we accessed the deceptive webpage, we found that it was presented as a "fast, anonymous and secure way" to invest. This implies that this fake website aims to trick visitors into transferring cryptocurrency to the scammers' wallets. It is pertinent to mention that due to the nature of cryptocurrencies, their transactions are virtually impossible to trace – therefore, they are practically irreversible.

To summarize, by trusting an email like "Qtumcoin[.]net" – users can experience financial losses and severe privacy issues.

Threat Summary:

Name	Qtumcoin.net spam email
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	85.7777 has been transferred to the recipient's Bitcoin portfolio.
Disguise	Qtum
Related Domains	qtumcoin[.]net
Detection Names (qtumcoin[.]net)	Avira (Phishing), CRDF (Malicious), CyRadar (Malicious), ESET (Malware), Kaspersky (Phishing), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address (qtumcoin[.]net)	172.67.177.217
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.
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Spam campaigns in general

We have analyzed countless spam emails; "Investment Into Building Homes For Orphans", "Attached Payment Invoice", "Confirm Ownership", "Voice Note", "Mercedes-Benz Lottery", and "Jeff Bezos Charity Project" are merely some examples of our newest finds.

These letters can be presented as "urgent", "important", "priority", or similar; they may even be disguised as messages from existing companies, corporations, service providers, institutions, authorities, or other entities. In addition to facilitating various scams, spam mail is also used to proliferate malware (e.g., trojans, ransomware, etc.).

Regardless of what this mail promises or claims – it must not be trusted since its sole goal is to generate revenue at victims' expense.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Spam campaigns spread malware by distributing malicious files. These files can be attached to or linked inside the emails/messages. Virulent files can be Microsoft Office and PDF documents, archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), JavaScript, and so forth.

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?

It is essential to exercise caution with incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages. We advise against opening attachments or links found in suspicious/irrelevant mail, as they can be infectious. Additionally, use post-2010 Microsoft Office versions since they have the "Protected View" mode that prevents automatic macro execution.

However, malware is not distributed exclusively via spam mail. Hence, we recommend downloading only from official and verified sources. Furthermore, software must be activated and updated using legitimate functions/tools, as illegal activation tools ("cracks") and third-party updaters can contain malware.

It is just as important to be vigilant when browsing since fake and dangerous online 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 and user safety. Security programs must be used to run regular system scans and to remove detected threats and 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 the "Qtumcoin[.]net" spam email letter:

Subject: Bitcoin Payment Successfull

Attn,
As agreed we deposited the balance of 85.7777 into your Bitcoin
portfolio confirm your balance at :
hxxps:// QTUMCOIN. NET
Customer ID : 29719980
password:    Jason4
Best Regards
Lubos White
Support Officer

Screenshot of the fake Qtum website promoted by this spam campaign:

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Quick menu:

• What is Qtumcoin.net spam 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 mass-scale 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've disclosed your 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, merely opening an email will not initiate system infection chains. Devices are infected when malicious attachments or links present in spam mail are opened/clicked.

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

If it was an executable (.exe, .run, etc.) – most likely, yes – your device was infected. And if it was a document (.doc, .xls, .pdf, etc.) – you might have avoided triggering an infection chain, as these formats may 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 nearly all known malware infections. However, keep in mind that sophisticated malicious software usually hides deep within systems – therefore, running a full system scan is crucial.

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