Avoid losing your email account via "You Have Delayed Messages" phishing email

What kind of email is "You Have Delayed Messages"?

After inspecting the "You Have Delayed Messages" spam email, we determined that it operates as a phishing scam. This letter aims to obtain recipients' email account log-in credentials by making false claims regarding blocked messages.

"You Have Delayed Messages" email scam overview

The spam letter with the subject "New Incoming mail blocked for [recipient's_email_address] on 2/07/2023 05:27:28 a.m. !" (may vary) states that thirteen emails have failed to reach the inbox. The recipient is instructed to press the "Resolve" link to address this issue.

When we followed these instructions, we were redirected to a phishing website. This site mimics the recipient's email account sign-in page. The log-in credentials (passwords) entered into this fake website will be disclosed to the scammers behind the spam campaign. With this information in their possession, the cyber criminals can not only steal the compromised email account, but they may also hijack the content registered through it.

To elaborate, scammers can use stolen communication platforms (e.g., emails, social networking, social media, messengers, etc.) to ask the contacts/friends/followers for loans or donations, promote scams, and even proliferate malware by sharing malicious files/links – under the guise of the account's actual owner.

Furthermore, cyber criminals can use finance-related accounts (e.g., online banking, e-commerce, digital wallets, etc.) to make fraudulent transactions and/or online purchases.

To summarize, victims of scam emails like "You Have Delayed Messages" can experience system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

If you have already entered your log-in credentials into a phishing site – immediately change the passwords of all potentially compromised accounts and inform their official support.

Threat Summary:

Name	"You Have Delayed Messages" phishing email
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Messages have failed to reach the email inbox.
Related Domains	toyostone.co[.]jp
Detection Names	Combo Cleaner (Malware), CRDF (Malicious), CyRadar (Malicious), Emsisoft (Phishing), Fortinet (Phishing), Kaspersky (Phishing), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	61.126.42.230
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 thousands of spam emails; "Mail Server Upgrade", "Mailbox Full", and "New Security Features" are just a few examples of ones similar to "You Have Delayed Messages".

In addition to various scams, spam mail is used to proliferate trojans, ransomware, and other malware. These emails can be simple or elaborate, riddled with spelling errors or competently crafted. This mail is used almost exclusively to generate revenue at recipients' expense.

Due to how widespread spam mail is – we highly recommend exercising caution with incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Spam emails can have virulent files attached to or linked inside them. These files can be executables (.exe, .run, etc.), archives (RAR, ZIP, etc.), Microsoft Office and PDF documents, JavaScript, and so forth.

When an infectious file is opened – that initiates the malware download/installation chain. For example, Microsoft Office documents infect devices by executing malicious macro commands.

How to avoid installation of malware?

We strongly recommend being careful with incoming emails and other messages. The attachments/links found in dubious mail must not be opened, as they can be malicious and cause infections. We also advise using Microsoft Office versions released after 2010 since they have the "Protected View" mode that prevents automatic macro command execution.

It must be mentioned that malware is distributed using various methods. Therefore, it is important to be vigilant when browsing since illegitimate and harmful online content usually appears ordinary and innocuous.

Additionally, all downloads must be performed from official and verified sources. It is crucial to activate and update programs using genuine functions/tools, as illegal activation ("cracking") tools and fake updaters can contain malware.

We must stress the importance of having a reputable anti-virus installed and kept updated. This 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 "You Have Delayed Messages" spam email letter:

Subject: New Incoming mail blocked for - on 2/07/2023 05:27:28 a.m. !

Hi -,

You have 13 delayed messages to your email - kindly Tap here:   Resolve

© - 2023

Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by the "You Have Delayed Messages" spam campaign:

Instant automatic malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ 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 "You Have Delayed Messages" 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 distributed in massive campaigns; 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 account credentials – immediately change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support. And if you've disclosed other private information (e.g., ID card details, credit card numbers, etc.) – contact the appropriate authorities without delay.

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

Devices are infected after malicious files or links found in spam mail are opened/clicked; merely reading an email does not pose such a threat.

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

If the opened file was an executable (.exe, .run, etc.) – most likely, yes – the system was infected. However, you might have avoided triggering an infection chain if it was a document (.doc, .xls, .pdf, etc.). These formats 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 eliminate threats. It remove practically all known malware infections. However, it must be emphasized that since sophisticated malicious software usually hides deep within systems – running a full system scan is essential.

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