Avoid infecting your device with malware via fake "Ziraat Bankasi" email
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What kind of email is "Ziraat Bankasi"?
After inspecting this "Ziraat Bankasi" email, we determined that it is spam. The letter supposedly relates to credit transactions, which require the recipient's approval.
It must be emphasized that this email is fake, and it is in no way associated with the real Ziraat Bankasi – a state-owned bank in Turkey. The goal of this spam mail is to infect recipients' devices with malware via a virulent attachment.
"Ziraat Bankasi" email virus overview
According to a rough translation, the spam email with the subject "Ziraat Bankasi - LC-2257ITVA-24022023 Referansli Dosya Açilisi Hk" (may vary) informs the recipient that it contains an attachment detailing a credit transaction that is soon to take place.
The documentation will require the recipient's approval, and each page will have to be signed and stamped, while the bank must be notified of any desired changes. The letter is concluded with actions that must be taken if the message has been received in error and the bank's information.
It must be emphasized that this email is fake, and it is in no way associated with the actual Ziraat Bankasi. The file attached to this spam letter is designed to infect devices with malware.
Spam mail is used to proliferate all manner of malicious software. The threats posed by an infection depend on the malware's capabilities and the cyber criminals' modus operandi. Common types include various trojans and ransomware.
"Trojan" is an umbrella term for a variety of malware, e.g., loaders/backdoors – that can cause chain infections (i.e., download/install additional malicious programs or components), grabbers – that exfiltrate files, stealers – that extract data from systems/ installed applications, spyware – that record audio/video or otherwise stealthily obtain information, clippers – that replace clipboard content, keyloggers – that record keyboard input, and so forth.
Ransomware is designed to encrypt data and/or lock the device's screen for the purpose of making ransom demands for the decryption/ access recovery. Another malware type called "cryptominer" abuses system resources to generate cryptocurrency.
To summarize, by trusting a fake email like "Ziraat Bankasi" – users can experience system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.
If you suspect that your device is already infected with malware – we strongly recommend running a full system scan with an anti-virus and eliminating all detected threats without delay.
| Name | "Ziraat Bankasi" malspam |
| Threat Type | Trojan, password-stealing virus, banking malware, spyware. |
| Fake Claim | Email attachment contains credit transaction related documentation. |
| Disguise | Ziraat Bankasi |
| Attachment(s) | LC-2257ITVA-24022023.rar (filename may vary) |
| Detection Names | Avast (Win32:Evo-gen [Trj]), Combo Cleaner (Trojan.GenericKD.65654932), ESET-NOD32 (NSIS/Injector.ASH), Kaspersky (HEUR:Trojan.Win32.Guloader.gen), Microsoft (Trojan:Win32/Leonem), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
| Symptoms | Trojans are designed to stealthily infiltrate the victim's computer and remain silent, and thus no particular symptoms are clearly visible on an infected machine. |
| Distribution methods | Infected email attachments, malicious online advertisements, social engineering, software 'cracks'. |
| Damage | Stolen passwords and banking information, identity theft, the victim's computer added to a botnet. |
| Malware Removal (Windows) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. |
Malspam campaign examples
"IGP Legal email virus", "DHL Express - AWB & Shipping Doc", "Kuwait Airways email virus", "Please Find Attached My CV", and "Interested In Buying From You" are just some examples of spam emails that proliferate malware.
In addition to distributing malicious software, deceptive letters are used to facilitate phishing and other scams. These emails are usually disguised as ordinary, official, or important mail; they can even be presented as messages from legitimate companies, service providers, organizations, governmental bodies, authorities, etc.
Due to how prevalent and well-made spam mail can be – we highly recommend exercising caution with incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages.
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Spam emails can contain infectious files as attachments or download links. These files can be in various formats, e.g., documents (Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, PDF, etc.), archives (RAR, ZIP, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), JavaScript, and so on.
When a virulent file is executed, run, or otherwise opened – the infection chain is triggered. For example, Microsoft Office documents infect systems by executing malicious macro commands, while infectious OneNote files need users to click on embedded files/links.
How to avoid installation of malware?
Incoming emails and other messages must be treated with caution. We advise against opening attachments or links found in dubious/irrelevant mail, as they can be virulent. Another recommendation is to use post-2010 Microsoft Office versions since they have the "Protected View" mode that prevents automatic macro command execution.
However, it must be mentioned that malware is not spread solely via spam mail. Therefore, we also advise being vigilant while browsing since fake and malicious online content usually appears ordinary and innocuous.
Additionally, all downloads must be performed from official and trustworthy sources. It is crucial to activate and update software using legitimate functions/tools, as illegal activation ("cracking") tools and third-party updaters can contain malware.
We must stress the importance of having a reputable anti-virus installed and kept up-to-date. Security programs must be used to run regular system scans and to remove 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 "Ziraat Bankasi" spam email letter:
Subject: Ziraat Bankasi - LC-2257ITVA-24022023 Referansli Dosya Açilisi Hk
Sayın Müşterimiz,
Bankamız nezdindeki hesabınızdan gerçekleşecek olan akreditif işleminize ilişkin taslak metin ekte paylaşılmıştır.
Metin üzerinde değişiklik talepleriniz varsa tarafımıza bildirilmesini; uygun bulunması durumunda ise her bir sayfanın üzerine 'Akreditifin açılması uygundur' ibaresi eklenerek onaylanmasını (imza + kaşe) ve onaylı metnin tarafımıza gönderilmesini rica ederiz.
Ticari elektronik iletişim kapsamında Bankamız e-postalarını almak istemiyorsanız veya bu e-posta içeriği size ait değilse, lütfen tıklayınız.
If you do not want to receive e-mails from this sender or if you have received this message in error, please click.
Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Ziraat Bankası Anonim Şirketi, Hacı Bayram Mahallesi, Atatürk Bulvarı No: 8 06050 Altındağ/ANKARA
Ticaret Sicil No: 1148 | Mersis No: 0998006967505633 | www.ziraatbank.com.tr
Erdi Tulumtaş
Kurumsal Müşteri İlişkileri Asistanı
Hadımköy-İstanbul Kurumsal Şube
Tel : 0212 886 6422/137 Faks : 0212 886 5270
hxxp://www.ziraatbank.com.tr
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Quick menu:
- What is "Ziraat Bankasi" malspam?
- 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. This mail is distributed in massive operations – hence, thousands of users receive identical emails.
I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?
No, merely opening/reading an email will not initiate any malware download/installation chains. Devices are infected when malicious attachments or links are opened/clicked.
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 an infection if it was a document (.doc, .xls, .one, .pdf, etc.). These formats may need additional user interaction (e.g., enabling macro commands, clicking on embedded content, etc.) to start downloading/installing malware.
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?
Yes, Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and eliminating most of the known malware infections. Keep in mind that performing a full system scan is essential – since sophisticated malicious programs typically hide deep within systems.
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