Avoid getting scammed by fake "Walmart Order" emails

What kind of email is "Walmart Order"?

After reviewing this "Walmart Order" email, we determined that it is spam. The scam email is presented as a notification regarding a purchase made from Walmart. This spam mail aims to deceive recipients into calling the fake support line and thus entrapping them in a scam.

"Walmart Order" email scam overview

The email with the subject "Order_Shipped..!!" (may vary) thanks the recipient for shopping with Walmart. The letter states that the order is on the way and lists its details: a Huawei Smart Watch 3 Pro for 568.99 USD and 20.00 USD for shipping – 588.99 USD in total. The email instructs to call the provided helpline to cancel the purchase and prevent the charge from being deducted from the credit card.

It must be emphasized that this spam is in no way associated with Walmart or any other legitimate entities.

The goal of this email is to trick recipients into calling the fake support number. How the scam progresses from that point on – may vary drastically. It can take place entirely over the phone, wherein the scammer, pretending to be support, deceives the victim into exposing sensitive information (e.g., personally identifiable details, credit card numbers, etc.).

However, spam like "Walmart Order" often operates as a refund scam. These schemes seek to gain user permission to connect their devices remotely (via the use of software like AnyDesk, TeamViewer, UltraViewer, etc.). The fake support then requests the victim to sign into their online banking account.

The cyber criminals use the remote access program's feature to darken the victim's screen and ask them to type the refund amount. Meanwhile, the scammers either manipulate the bank account webpage's HTML (to change what is displayed on it) or move funds in-between accounts (e.g., from savings to checking). While neither of the actions actually affects victims' funds – it does create the appearance that a significantly larger sum has been transferred.

The "support" then claims that the user made an error when entering the refund amount and begs them to return the excess. Since no transaction took place – the victim will send their own money to scammers.

Cyber criminals prefer difficult-to-trace methods, e.g., the victim can be asked to return the "excess" in cryptocurrencies, gift cards, pre-paid vouchers, or cash hidden in packages and shipped. By using these methods, the criminals can diminish the chances of persecution and prevent the victims from returning their funds. It is pertinent to mention that successfully scammed victims are often targeted repeatedly.

Keep in mind that having scammers connected to your device can result in various severe issues; they can steal files and information, remove genuine security tools, infect the system with malware (e.g., trojans, ransomware, etc.), and so on.

To summarize, by trusting an email like "Walmart Order" – users can experience system infections, serious privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

If you have allowed cyber criminals to access your device remotely – firstly, disconnect it from the Internet (as they may not need your permission to reconnect). Secondly, remove the remote access software that the criminals used. Lastly, perform a full system scan with an anti-virus and remove all detected threats.

If you have disclosed your private information to scammers (e.g., ID card details, passport scans/photos, credit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact the appropriate authorities.

And if you believe that your log-in credentials have been exposed – change the passwords of all potentially exposed accounts and inform their official support without delay.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Walmart Order" spam email
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Recipient has successfully made a purchase from Walmart.
Disguise	Walmart
Support Scammer Phone Number	+1-888-600-2007, 1-805-419-9605, 1-805-206-2966, 1-860-790-5998
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.

Spam campaigns in general

We have inspected thousands of spam emails; "Microsoft Lottery", "Voice Message In Your Office365 Extension", "Quotation Of Goods", "New Project Proposal", and "CREDIT FROM FEDERAL RESERVE BANK" are just some of our newest finds.

In addition to various scams (e.g., phishing, refund, tech support, sextortion, etc.), this mail is used to proliferate trojans, ransomware, and other malware. These letters are often disguised as messages and missives from legitimate companies, service providers, organizations, authorities, and other entities.

Due to how widespread and well-made spam mail can be – we strongly recommend approaching incoming emails and other messages with caution.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

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

When such a 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 virulent OneNote files need users to click on embedded files/links.

How to avoid installation of malware?

We advise exercising caution with incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages. The attachments and links found in suspicious/irrelevant mail must not be opened, as they can be infectious. It is crucial to use post-2010 Microsoft Office versions since they have the "Protected View" mode that prevents automatic macro execution.

However, malware is not spread exclusively through spam mail. Therefore, we also recommend downloading only from official and verified sources. Furthermore, all programs must be activated and updated using legitimate functions/tools, as illegal activation tools ("cracks") and third-party updaters can contain malware.

Another recommendation is to be vigilant when browsing since fake and malicious online content usually appears harmless.

We must stress the importance of having a dependable anti-virus installed and kept up-to-date. Security software must be used to run regular system scans and to remove detected 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 "Walmart Order" spam email letter:

Subject: Order_Shipped..!!

Walmart

Save money. Live better.

Transaction Id – CNO0854/MAJD207464.

Date - 20th March, 2023 .
Thank you for placing order with Walmart. You completed a purchase of $588.99.

Your order is on the way. If you need to return an item from this shipment or manage other orders, please call us at +1-888-600-2007.

The Order Details are as follows: -
Item     :     Huawei Smart Watch 3 Pro (Titanium 48MM GLL-AL01 – Brown)
Quantity     :     1
Amount     :     $568.99
Shipping     :     $20.00
Total     :     $588.99

Charge will appear on your credit card statement as WALMART.

Package will be delivered within 24 hrs. However, if you haven’t placed this order, please contact our Customer Support Number +1-888-600-2007.

Copyright 2023@ Walmart. All rights reserved.

Another example of an email from "Walmart Order" spam campaign:

Text presented within:

Walmart EMAIL: Email did not originate from GATE. Use caution before opening.

 

Your order is on the way!
Order confirmed
Product - APPLE IPHONE 15 PRO MAX 256 GB
Amount - $2129.00
Deliver by - Monday
If you have not placed this order call immediately at 18054199605 or 18052062966 to cancel this order .

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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 "Walmart Order" spam 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. Cyber criminals distribute them by the thousand – with the hopes that at least some recipients will fall for their scams.

I have provided my personal information when tricked by this spam email, what should I do?

If you have provided your log-in credentials – change the passwords of all potentially exposed accounts and inform their official support without delay. And if you've disclosed other private data (e.g., ID card details, credit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact relevant authorities.

I have allowed cyber criminals to remotely access my computer, what should I do?

If you have permitted cyber criminals to remotely access your device – disconnect it from the Internet. Afterward, remove the remote access software that the criminals used (e.g., TeamViewer, UltraViewer, AnyDesk, etc.). Lastly, run a full system scan with an anti-virus and eliminate all detected threats.

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

No, opening/reading an email will not trigger 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?

Whether the system was infected might depend on the opened file's format. If it was an executable (.exe, .run, etc.) – most likely, yes – your device was compromised. However, documents (.doc, .xls, .one, .pdf, etc.) might 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 nearly all known malware infections. It must be mentioned that performing a full system scan is essential – since sophisticated malicious programs usually hide deep within systems.

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