Avoid getting scammed by fake "Apple Mobile Promo Draw" emails
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What kind of email is "Apple Mobile Promo Draw"?
After examining the "Apple Mobile Promo Draw" spam email, we determined that it operates as a phishing scam. This campaign targets personally identifiable information, which is coaxed out of recipients through false claims concerning a prize of 750 thousand USD that they have supposedly won.
"Apple Mobile Promo Draw" email scam overview
The email with the subject "Win 750000.00" (may vary) states that in commemoration of the "APPLE MOBILE Telecommunication" anniversary, 91 million USD was allocated for gifts and cash prizes. The fake letter claims that the recipient's phone number was randomly selected to win 750 thousand USD.
To claim the winnings, the email asks to complete the verification form, i.e., provide full name, sex, age, occupation, marital status, address, country, mobile number, and an alternative email address. Additionally, the recipient is instructed to attach a scan of their passport, driver's license, or work ID.
It must be emphasized that all the claims made by the "Apple Mobile Promo Draw" letter are fake. Neither is this mail in any way associated with Apple Inc. or any other legitimate entities.
With the information this email targets, the cyber criminals behind it can steal the victims' identities. The data can also be used to craft exceedingly personalized and convincing scams.
Victims of emails like "Apple Mobile Promo Draw" can experience severe privacy issues, significant financial losses, and identity theft.
If you have already disclosed your personal information to scammers – immediately contact the appropriate authorities.
| Name | "Apple Mobile Promo Draw" phishing email |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Recipient has won 750 thousand USD |
| Disguise | Apple Inc. |
| 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
We have investigated numerous spam emails; "American Express Security Team", "Emails From A Trusted Sender", "Impossibility Of Your Transferring Your Funds", "You've Received A Secure File", "Interested In Buying Your Property" – are just a few examples of phishing letters.
Various scams are facilitated through spam mail, and it is used to distribute malware (e.g., trojans, ransomware, cryptominers, etc.). These emails can also wear a wide variety of disguises, including as messages from real companies, service providers, organizations, institutions, authorities, and other entities.
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Spam campaigns can distribute malicious files as attachments or download links. These files can be executables (.exe, .run, etc.), archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), documents (PDF, Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, etc.), JavaScript, and so forth.
When a virulent file is executed, run, or otherwise opened – the infection chain (i.e., malware download/installation) is triggered. For example, Microsoft Office documents infect systems by executing malicious macro commands, while infectious OneNote files require users to click on embedded files/links.
How to avoid installation of malware?
We strongly advise treating incoming emails, DMs/PMs, SMSes, and other messages with caution. Attachments or links present in suspicious/irrelevant mail must not be opened, as they can be malicious. We recommend using Microsoft Office versions released after 2010 since they have the "Protected View" mode that prevents automatic macro execution.
It must be mentioned that malware is not spread only through spam mail. Therefore, we also advise being careful when browsing since fraudulent and dangerous online content usually appears ordinary and harmless.
Furthermore, all downloads must be performed from official and trustworthy channels. It is just as important to activate and update programs by using legitimate functions/tools, as illegal activation tools ("cracks") and third-party updaters may contain malware.
It is paramount for device/user safety to have a reputable anti-virus installed and kept up-to-date. Security software 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 "Apple Mobile Promo Draw" spam email letter:
Subject: Win 750000.00
APPLE COMPANY
11 Pennsylvania Plaza,
New York, NY 10001, USA.
Dear Esteemed Claims Application,
In line with commemorating event marking our annual anniversary of the APPLE MOBILE Telecommunication, we rolled out over $91,000,000.00 (Ninety One Million Dollar) for gift items and cash prizes for our annual Anniversary Draws. This promo is approved by the America Gaming Board and licensed by the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR). This promo is the first of its kind and we intend to sensitize the public.
We are pleased to inform you that your Mobile Number has won Seven Hundred & Fifty Thousand Dollars ($750, 000.00) in the Apple Mobile Promo Draw organized by Apple Electronics Company United States of America/Europe/South America/Asia/Africa, held on the 1st of this month in United States of America.
Apple Company randomly selected different Countries Mobile Numbers through a computer ballot system to receive an award of Seven Hundred & Fifty Thousand Dollars ($750, 000.00) each as a part of our for-profit philanthropic wing promotion.
The online International award draws was conducted from an exclusive list of over 25, 000, 000 Mobile Numbers of individual and corporate bodies picked by an advanced automated random computer search from the web. No tickets were sold. Your Mobile Number emerged as one of five lucky winning numbers in the category ‘A’ with the following:
You are required to fill the form below and send it to the Promotion manager of The Apple Company for verification and then you will be directed on how to claim your winning amount of ($750, 000.00 US Dollars) Seven Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars.
Fill VERIFICATION FORM below:
1. Full Name:
2. Contact Address:
3.Mobile Number:
4. Marital Status:
5. Occupation:
6. Sex:
7. Age:
8. Country:
9. Alternative Email Address:
You are to send a scanned copy of your Passport, Drivers License or Work ID via email attachment for proper confirmations.
Friends and relatives cannot redeem your won prize on your behalf because the certified cheque is covered by an IRREVOCABLE GUARANTEE BOND (IGB).
Thank you for being a part of our promo draw.
EVENT MANAGER,
Raymond Joe
Tel: +17162793317
Copyright 2023 Apple Electronics Company. All rights reserved.
Appearance of the "Apple Mobile Promo Draw" spam email (GIF):
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Quick menu:
- What is "Apple Mobile Promo Draw" 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. Cyber criminals distribute this mail in massive campaigns – hence, thousands of users receive identical messages. While some spam letters may include generic yet relevant information or publicly available private details – that does not make them personal.
I have provided my personal information when tricked by this spam email, what should I do?
If you have disclosed sensitive private information (e.g., ID card details, scans/photos of passports or other identifying documents, credit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact the appropriate authorities. And if you've provided log-in credentials – change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support without delay.
I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?
No, 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?
Whether an infection occurs might depend on the opened file's format. Executables (.exe, .run, etc.) infect devices almost without fail once they are opened. However, documents (.doc, .xls, .pdf, .one, etc.) may require additional user interaction (e.g., enabling macro commands, clicking embedded content, etc.) to start malware download/installation processes.
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?
Yes, Combo Cleaner is designed to detect and remove threats. It is capable of eliminating nearly all known malware infections. Note that since sophisticated malicious programs usually hide deep within systems – performing a complete system scan is crucial.
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