Avoid getting scammed by fake "UPS Custom Permit" emails
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What kind of email is "UPS Custom Permit"?
Our inspection of the "UPS Custom Permit" email revealed that it is spam. This letter is presented as a notification from UPS regarding the recipient's order. It must be emphasized that this email is fake, and it is not associated with the actual UPS company. This spam mail likely operates as a phishing scam.
"UPS Custom Permit" email scam overview
The scam email with the subject "UPS Custom Permit_AWB 2259538816" (may vary) informs the recipient that UPS has dispatched their order. The letter also states that the custom permit and other related documentation are attached below. However, when we investigated the email – we found that it contained a link instead of an attached file.
At the time of research, the link led to a dead website. However, it was likely intended to redirect users to a phishing webpage; it is most probable that the site requested visitors to sign in using their email account credentials. Keep in mind that the nonfunctional site might be replaced in future campaigns distributing this spam letter.
Phishing scams of this kind can cause more issues to victims than just a stolen email. These accounts are typically used to register other content – and cyber criminals may steal it as well.
To elaborate, scammers might steal the identities of social account owners (e.g., emails, social networking/media, messengers, etc.) and use them to ask the contacts/friends for loans, promote scams, or proliferate malware by sharing virulent files/links. Furthermore, finance-related accounts (e.g., online banking, e-commerce, digital wallets, etc.) can be used to make fraudulent transactions and/or online purchases.
In summary, by trusting an email like "UPS Custom Permit" – users can experience system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.
If you have disclosed your log-in credentials to scammers – immediately change the passwords of all potentially exposed accounts and contact their official support.
| Name | "UPS Custom Permit" phishing email |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | UPS has shipped the recipient's order. |
| Disguise | UPS |
| 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 thousands of spam emails; "Foundation For Humanitarian Work", "Lottolore", "Big Sale Of Bitcoin And Ethereum", "DHL Express - AWB & Shipping Doc", "Upgrade Zimbra Account", and "Please Find Attached My CV" are merely some examples of our newest finds.
In addition to facilitating various scams, this mail is used to distribute trojans, ransomware, and other malware. These letters use various disguises and scam models to gain and subsequently abuse recipients' trust.
Due to how widespread and well-crafted spam mail can be – we highly recommend being vigilant with incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages.
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Spam emails can have malicious files attached to or linked inside them. These files can be in various formats, e.g., PDF and Microsoft Office documents, executables (.exe, .run, etc.), archives (RAR, ZIP, etc.), JavaScript, and so forth.
When a virulent file is executed, run, or otherwise opened – the infection chain is triggered. For example, Microsoft Office documents infect devices by executing malicious macro commands.
How to avoid installation of malware?
We strongly advise being cautious with incoming emails and other messages. The attachments and links found in suspicious/irrelevant mail must not be opened, as they can be malicious and cause system infections.
It is important to use post-2010 Microsoft Office versions since they have the "Protected View" mode that prevents automatic macro execution.
Since malware is not proliferated only through spam mail, we also advise downloading from official/verified channels. Additionally, all programs must be activated and updated using legitimate functions/tools, as illegal activation tools ("cracks") and fake updaters can contain malware.
Another recommendation is to be careful when browsing since fake and hazardous online content usually appears ordinary and innocuous.
We must emphasize the importance of having 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 "UPS Custom Permit" spam email letter:
Subject: UPS Custom Permit_AWB 2259538816
UPS
UP CUSTOM PERMIT
Dear Customer,
Please be inform that your order has been dispatched through UPS Express
Below Attached Document is a custom permit and related paperworks for AWB 2259538816
.Thank you for using UPS Express
Yours Sincerely,
UPS Express (Singapore) Pte Ltd
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Quick menu:
- What is "UPS Custom Permit" 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. They are distributed in mass-scale operations – therefore, thousands of users receive identical letters.
I have provided my personal information when tricked by this spam email, what should I do?
If you have provided log-in credentials – change the passwords of all potentially exposed accounts. And if you've disclosed 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 a spam email will not initiate any system infection processes. Devices are infected when malicious attachments or links are opened.
I have downloaded and opened a file attached to a spam email, is my computer infected?
Whether an infection occurred might depend on the opened file's format. Executables (.exe, .run, etc.) infect devices almost without fail. While documents (.doc, .xls, .pdf, etc.) may need additional actions (e.g., enabling macro commands) to start downloading/installing malware.
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?
Yes, Combo Cleaner is designed to detect and remove threats. It can eliminate nearly all known malware infections. Note that running a full system scan is essential since sophisticated malicious software usually hides deep within systems.
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