How to spot fraudulent emails like "DHL Statement Of Account"
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What is "DHL Statement Of Account" email virus?
After examining this letter, we concluded that it is a fake letter from DHL - a legitimate logistics company providing courier, package delivery, and express mail service. Cybercriminals behind this email aim to trick recipients into infecting their computers with malware via the attached archive file.
More about the "DHL Statement Of Account" malspam campaign
This email is purportedly sent from DHL's Accounts Department. Cybercriminals behind it try to trick recipients into believing that they need to open the attached statement of account to review the details. However, the attachment is a malicious file that can harm computers.
The file attached to this email is named "DHL STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT - 1301671210.7z" (its name may vary). It is a compressed archive file containing an executable file designed to plant Agent Tesla on computers.
Agent Tesla (or AgentTesla) is a remote access tool (RAT) that enables users to remotely control computers. Although it is advertised as a legitimate program that can be purchased from an official website, Agent Tesla is used by cybercriminals to steal personal data and perform other malicious activities.
Agent Tesla not only has the ability to execute commands on devices but also possesses comprehensive data-stealing capabilities. It has the capacity to capture keystrokes through keylogging and extract information from a range of applications such as browsers, email clients, messengers, download managers, VPNs, FTP clients, and more.
| Name | DHL Statement Of Account malspam campaign |
| Threat Type | Trojan, password-stealing virus, banking malware, spyware. |
| Hoax | Recipients need to review the attached document |
| Attachment(s) | DHL STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT - 1301671210.7z |
| Detection Names (Malicious Executable Withint the Attachment) | Avast (Win64:PWSX-gen [Trj]), Combo Cleaner (Trojan.GenericKD.65848560), ESET-NOD32 (MSIL/Spy.AgentTesla.F), Kaspersky (HEUR:Trojan-PSW.MSIL.Stealer.gen), Microsoft (Trojan:Win32/Casdet!rfn), 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. |
| Payload | Agent Tesla |
| 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. |
Similar emails in general
These emails often have a sense of urgency or require immediate action, such as claiming to be from a trusted source or containing a subject line related to finances, invoices, or shipping. Also, they may use social engineering tactics to manipulate recipients into opening the attachment or clicking on the link, such as using fear, curiosity, or excitement.
Examples of emails used to deliver malware are "Company Contact Email Virus", "ATLANTIS TRANS LOGISTIK Email Virus", and "Ziraat Bankasi Email Virus".
How did "DHL Statement Of Account email virus" infect my computer?
The file attached to this email is an archive file (.7z). It contains an executable file. A computer becomes infected with Agent Tesla RAT after running the executable within the attached archive file.
Cybercriminals use a variety of file types to distribute malware. Still, some of the most common ones include executable files, Microsoft Office documents, JavaScript files, PDF documents, ISO files, and archive files.
How to avoid installation of malware?
Review emails before accessing any links or attachments, particularly if they are from unknown senders or appear to be irrelevant. Download software and files from official websites and trusted stores, and avoid using P2P networks, free file hosting sites, third-party downloaders, or any untrustworthy websites.
Avoid clicking on advertisements or links on suspicious web pages. Ensure that the operating system and all installed software are regularly updated. Use reputable antivirus software to protect your computer, and conduct regular system scans to identify potential threats.
If you've already opened "DHL Statement Of Account email virus" attachment, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.
Text presented in the "DHL Statement Of Account email virus" email letter:
Subject: DHL STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT - 1301671210
Dear Customer,
Please find your current DHL Statement of Account.
Regards,
DHL Accounts Dept.
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Quick menu:
- What is DHL Statement Of Account malspam campaign?
- 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?
Emails containing malicious files or links are often designed to appear personal but are usually not personalized for the recipient. Cybercriminals send the same letter to all recipients,
I have downloaded and opened a file attached to this email, is my computer infected?
No, opening an archive file is harmless. However, if you have opened the executable within the attached archive file, your computer is already infected with Agent Tesla.
I have read the email but did not open the attachment, is my computer infected?
Merely opening an email is not dangerous. However, clicking on links within the email or opening any attached files can potentially result in system infections.
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections that were present in email attachment?
Combo Cleaner has the ability to identify and eradicate nearly all known malware infections. However, it is important to note that sophisticated malware can often be deeply embedded within the system, requiring a full system scan in order to be detected and removed.
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