Avoid losing your account via fake "Emails From A Trusted Sender" email
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What kind of email is "Emails From A Trusted Sender"?
"Emails From A Trusted Sender" is a phishing email. It aims to trick recipients into disclosing their mail account log-in credentials by claiming that several emails failed to reach the inbox.
"Emails From A Trusted Sender" email scam overview
The spam email with the subject "FYI: [recipient's_email_address] LAST WARNING; INCOMING MAIL BLOCKED." (may vary) states that two messages failed to reach the inbox. The withheld emails are from a trusted sender and have subjects that relate to payments and purchases. Releasing the emails into the inbox will require verifying them with the account's credentials.
It must be stressed that this letter is fake, and it is in no way associated with any legitimate entities.
After we clicked the "Verify me" button, it resulted in a redirect to a phishing website presented as an email account sign-in page. It has the sophisticated ability of mimicking the recipient's email sign-in webpage. Passwords entered into the phishing site will be recorded and sent to the cyber criminals behind the spam campaign.
In addition to stealing the exposed emails, the criminals may be able to hijack the content registered through them. For example, finance-related accounts (e.g., online banking, cryptocurrency wallets, e-commerce, etc.) can be used to make fraudulent transactions and online purchases.
Scammers can steal the identities of social account owners (e.g., emails, social media, social networking, etc.) and ask the friends/followers for loans or donations, promote scams, and even proliferate malware by sharing malicious files/links.
To summarize, victims of emails like "Emails From A Trusted Sender" can experience serious privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.
If you have already provided your log-in credentials – immediately change the passwords of all possibly compromised accounts and contact their official support.
| Name | "Emails From A Trusted Sender" phishing email |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Emails failed delivery and need to be released into the inbox. |
| 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. |
Phishing spam campaign examples
"Account Has Been Re-queued For Deactivation", "New Webmail Version", "You've Received A Secure File", and "Dropbox Is Full" are merely a few examples of phishing emails we have inspected recently.
Various scams are facilitated through spam mail, including (but not limited to) phishing, sextortion, tech support, callback, inheritance, refund, etc. Furthermore, deceptive letters are also used to distribute malware (e.g., trojans, ransomware, cryptocurrency miners, etc.).
These emails can wear a variety of disguises, including as messages from genuine service providers, companies, institutions, authorities, and other entities.
Due to how widespread spam mail is – we strongly recommend being cautious with incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages.
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Spam emails can include malicious files in the form of attachments or download links. These files come in various formats, e.g., archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), documents (Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, PDF, etc.), JavaScript, and so on.
Once an infectious file is executed, run, or otherwise opened – the malware download/installation process is initiated. For example, Microsoft Office files infect devices by executing malicious macro commands, while virulent OneNote documents require users to click on embedded files/links.
How to avoid installation of malware?
It is crucial to approach incoming emails and other messages with care. We advise against opening attachments or links present in dubious mail, as they can be infectious. It is important to use post-2010 Microsoft Office versions since they have the "Protected View" mode that prevents automatic macro execution.
Since malware is not proliferated exclusively via spam mail, we also advise downloading only from official and trustworthy sources. Additionally, all programs must be activated and updated by using legitimate functions/tools, as illegal activation ("cracking") tools and third-party updaters can contain malware.
Another recommendation is to be vigilant while browsing since fraudulent and dangerous online content usually appears genuine and harmless.
It is paramount for device/user safety to have a dependable anti-virus installed and kept up-to-date. Security software must be used to perform regular system scans and to remove 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 "Emails From A Trusted Sender" spam email letter:
Subject: FYI: ******** LAST WARNING; INCOMING MAIL BLOCKED.
Two emails from a trusted sender is yet to be delivered to your inbox
Read Email : ********: RE: RE: PAYMENT DETAILS FOR SOB NO: 6789032 :6/20/2023 9:04:45 p.m.
Read Email : ******** : RE: Purchase Order No 2302574, P- 0717 :6/20/2023 9:04:45 p.m.
We need to verify your email ********.
Click the button instantly to verify.
Verify me
******** Service Provider
Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by the "Emails From A Trusted Sender" spam campaign:
Yet another example of an email from "Emails From A Trusted Sender" spam campaign:
Text presented within:
Subject: UPDATE: Verify Your Email Now!
Four emails from a trusted sender is yet to be delivered to your inbox
We need to verify your email address.
Click the button to instantly become a trusted sender.
Verify me(To view this message as a web page, click here.)
New service provider wants to ensure users do not receive unwanted email. Verifying your email address will ensure that all future email will be delivered directly to the inbox without delay.
Verification using the button above is instantaneous
Thanks,
Service Provider
Instant automatic malware removal:
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Quick menu:
- What is "Emails From A Trusted Sender" 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. They are distributed in massive operations – therefore, thousands of users receive identical messages.
I have provided my personal information when tricked by this spam email, what should I do?
If you have disclosed your log-in credentials – change the passwords of all potentially exposed accounts and inform their official support without delay. And if you've provided other private data (e.g., ID card details, credit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact relevant authorities.
I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?
No, opening/reading an email is harmless. 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 – your device was infected. However, you might have avoided an infection if it was a document (.doc, .xls, .one, .pdf, etc.). These formats may require additional user interaction (e.g., enabling macro commands, clicking embedded content, 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 since sophisticated malicious programs usually hide deep within systems – running a complete system scan is crucial.
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