Avoid having your email account stolen via fake Webmail Security Changes email

What kind of email is "Webmail Security Changes"?

"Webmail Security Changes" was revealed to be a spam email by our inspection. This letter is presented as a notification from the recipient's mail service provider regarding unauthorized changes to the email account. This phishing letter targets recipients' log-in credentials in order to steal their email accounts.

"Webmail Security Changes" email scam overview

The spam email with the subject "Attention : E-mail Authentication [recipient's_email_address]" (may vary) informs the recipient that unauthorized changes have been made to their email account. The letter instructs the recipient to review the changes – so as to avoid getting permanently logged out of the account.

As previously mentioned, this "Webmail Security Changes" email is fake. Hence, when we investigated the site promoted by this letter, we determined that the webpage operates as a phishing scam. The website is disguised as an email account sign-in page. The log-in credentials (i.e., email and its password) entered into this site will be recorded and sent to the cyber criminals behind this spam campaign.

It must be mentioned that through hijacked emails, scammers may be able to steal the content registered with them. Stolen accounts and platforms can be variously misused.

For example, cyber criminals can steal the identities of social account owners (e.g., emails, social networking, social media, messengers, etc.) and ask their contacts/friends for loans or donations, promote scams, and even spread malware by sharing malicious files/links. Finance-related accounts (e.g., online banking, e-commerce, cryptocurrency wallets, etc.) can be used to make fraudulent transactions and/or online purchases.

In summary, by trusting an email like "Webmail Security Changes" – users can experience system infections, serious privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

If you have disclosed your log-in credentials – immediately change the passwords of all potentially exposed accounts and inform their official support.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Webmail Security Changes" phishing email
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Due to unauthorized changes to the recipient's email account – they may permanently lose access to it.
Related Domains	muenchnernotizen[.]info
Detection Names (muenchnernotizen[.]info)	Combo Cleaner (Malware), Emsisoft (Phishing), ESET (Phishing), Fortinet (Malware), Kaspersky (Phishing), Sophos (Malware), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address (muenchnernotizen[.]info)	104.21.6.141
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 inspected thousands of spam emails; "SaphetyDoc email scam", "Scam Activities In African Nations", and "DHL - A Parcel Was Sent To You" are just a few examples of ones used for phishing.

This mail is used to facilitate various scams and even to distribute malware (e.g., trojans, ransomware, cryptocurrency miners, etc.). These messages can be variously disguised, including as emails from legitimate companies, corporations, organizations, authorities, and other entities.

Due to how prevalent and well-crafted this mail can be, we strongly recommend exercising caution with incoming emails, DMs/PMs, SMSes, and other messages.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Spam emails can contain malicious files as attachments or download links. These files can be documents (e.g., PDF, Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, etc.), archives (e.g., RAR, ZIP, etc.), executables (e.g., .exe, .run, etc.), JavaScript, and so forth.

When a virulent file is executed, run, or otherwise opened – the infection chain is initiated. For example, Microsoft Office documents infect devices by executing malicious macro commands, while infectious Microsoft OneNote files require users to click on embedded files/links.

How to avoid installation of malware?

We strongly recommend being careful with incoming emails and other messages. The attachments and links found in suspect/irrelevant mail must not be opened, as they can be virulent. It is essential to use Microsoft Office versions released after 2010 since they have the "Protected View" mode that prevents automatic macro command execution.

However, since malware is not spread exclusively via spam mail, we also recommend being vigilant when browsing since fake and malicious content usually appears harmless.

Additionally, all downloads must be performed from official and verified sources. It is just as important to activate and update software using genuine functions/tools, as illegal activation tools ("cracks") and third-party updates may contain malware.

We must emphasize that having a reputable anti-virus installed and kept up-to-date is essential to device integrity and user privacy. Security programs must be used to run regular system scans and to remove detected threats/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 "Webmail Security Changes" spam email letter:

Subject: Attention : E-mail Authentication -
 
webmail

 

An Unauthorized security changes has been made on your e-mail : - on 3/6/2023 12:40:44 a.m.

kindly review the changes made on -  portal to prevent permanent log out .

Review recent activity

Cp
Copyright © 2023 cPanel, Inc.

Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by the "Webmail Security Changes" 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 "Webmail Security Changes" 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've disclosed your log-in credentials – immediately change the passwords of all potentially exposed accounts and inform their official support. And if you have provided other private information (e.g., ID card details, credit card numbers, etc.) – contact the corresponding authorities without delay.

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

No, just opening an email will not initiate any system infection chains. Malware download/installation processes are triggered when malicious attachments or links are opened.

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. And if it was a document (.doc, .xls, .one, .pdf, etc.), you might have avoided an infection. These formats can require additional actions (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 practically all known malware infections. Note that since sophisticated malicious programs typically hide deep within systems – running a full system scan is a must.

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