Do not trust fake "Microsoft Outlook Mailbox Configuration" emails

What kind of email is "Microsoft Outlook Mailbox Configuration"?

After inspecting the "Microsoft Outlook Mailbox Configuration" email, we determined that it is spam. The letter is presented as a notification regarding the recipient's Microsoft Outlook email client configuration. This phishing mail aims to trick recipients into disclosing their email account log-in credentials.

It must be emphasized that this spam mail is in no way associated with either Microsoft Outlook or the Microsoft Corporation.

"Microsoft Outlook Mailbox Configuration" email scam overview

The spam email with the subject "Microsoft Office Outlook Test Message" (may vary) is presented as an automatic no-reply message. It supposedly relates to the recipient's Microsoft Outlook settings testing. The letter requests the recipient to verify the configuration settings for their mail account.

As previously mentioned, this email is fake, and it is not associated with Microsoft Outlook. Hence, after we followed the link presented in this letter, it resulted in a redirect to a phishing website disguised as an email account sign-in page. Email passwords entered into this site will be disclosed to the scammers behind this spam campaign.

In addition to stealing the exposed email, the cyber criminals might be able to hijack the content registered through it. To elaborate, scammers can steal the identities of social account owners (e.g., emails, social networking, social media, messengers, forums, etc.) and ask the contacts/friends/followers for loans, promote scams, and proliferate malware by sharing malicious files/links.

Hijacked finance-related accounts (e.g., online banking, money transferring, e-commerce, cryptowallets, etc.) can be used to make fraudulent transactions or online purchases.

In summary, by trusting an email like "Microsoft Outlook Mailbox Configuration" – users can experience system infections, serious privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

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

Threat Summary:

Name	"Microsoft Outlook Mailbox Configuration" phishing email
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Recipient is requested to verify their Microsoft Outlook mailbox configuration settings.
Disguise	Microsoft Outlook/ Microsoft
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 countless spam letters; "This Is A Secure Message", "Suspicious Activities On Your Crypto Wallet", "Webmail Account Maintenance", and "Voice Message In Your Office365 Extension" are merely a few examples of ones used for phishing.

This mail can be disguised as "official", "urgent", "important", and similar; it may even be presented as messages from legitimate companies, service providers, organizations, authorities, and other entities. In addition to various scams, deceptive emails are used to distribute malware (e.g., trojans, ransomware, cryptominers, etc.).

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

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Spam campaigns proliferate malware by distributing infectious files as attachments or download links. These files can be in various formats, e.g., documents (PDF, Microsoft OneNote, Microsoft Office, etc.), executables (.exe, run, etc.), archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), JavaScript, and so forth.

When such a file is executed, run, or otherwise opened – the infection chain is initiated. For example, virulent Microsoft OneNote files need users to click on embedded content, while Office documents rely on them to enable malicious macro commands.

How to avoid installation of malware?

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

However, malware is not proliferated exclusively via spam mail. Therefore, we advise being careful while browsing since fake and dangerous online content usually appears ordinary and innocuous.

Furthermore, all downloads must be performed from official and verified channels. It is just as important to activate and update software using legitimate functions/tools, as illegal activation ("cracking") tools and fake updates may contain malware.

It is paramount for device integrity and user safety to have a reputable anti-virus installed and kept updated. 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 "Microsoft Outlook Mailbox Configuration" spam email letter:

Subject: Microsoft Office Outlook Test Message

This is an e-mail message sent automatically by Microsoft Outlook while testing the settings for your account.
Kindly verify your mailbox configuration settings

Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by the "Microsoft Outlook Mailbox Configuration" spam campaign:

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Quick menu:

• What is "Microsoft Outlook Mailbox Configuration" 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?

Cyber criminals distribute spam mail in massive campaigns – therefore, thousands of users receive these emails.

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

If you've provided your account credentials – change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and contact their official support without delay. And if the disclosed data was of a different personal nature (e.g., ID card details, credit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact the corresponding authorities.

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 processes. Systems 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 your device was infected might depend on the opened file's format. If it was an executable (.exe, .run, etc.) – most likely, yes. However, you might have avoided an infection if it was a document (.doc, .xls, .one, .pdf, etc.). These formats may require additional actions (e.g., enabling macro commands, clicking on embedded files/links, etc.) 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 can remove practically all known malware infections. Note that running a full system scan is crucial – since sophisticated malicious software usually hides deep within systems.

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