Avoid getting scammed by fake "DHL Delivery Payment" emails
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What kind of email is "DHL Delivery Payment"?
Our inspection of the "DHL Delivery Payment" email revealed that it is fake. This spam letter claims that the recipient has to make a payment to have their package delivered to their home. It must be emphasized that this email is a scam, and it is in no way associated with the DHL delivery company.
"DHL Delivery Payment" email scam overview
The spam email with the subject "Required action" (may vary) states that a package sent via DHL Express has pending actions. The recipient is informed that they are required to pay 2.99 USD to have the parcel promptly sent to their home.
As mentioned in the introduction, all the claims made by this letter are false, and this mail is not associated with the actual DHL company.
When we clicked the "Send my package" button presented in this email, we were redirected to a fake DHL website. The page reiterated that a 2.99 USD payment must be made within two weeks to complete the delivery.
Spam mail of this kind typically either seeks to extract sensitive information from victims (phishing) or trick them into transferring money to the scammers. Scams that mention fees can aim to steal victims' personally-identifiable and finance-related data, e.g., names, addresses, telephone numbers, credit card details, etc.
Alternatively, the schemes could seek money directly and promote dubious payment gateways through which users are to pay the fake outstanding fees.
In summary, victims of emails like "DHL Delivery Payment" can experience severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.
If you have already provided your private information (e.g., ID card details, credit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact the appropriate authorities.
| Name | "DHL Delivery Payment" spam email |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Recipient must pay the outstanding fees to complete their package's delivery. |
| Disguise | DHL Express |
| Related Domains | pay-dhl-invoice[.]com |
| Detection Names (pay-dhl-invoice[.]com) | Fortinet (Spam), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
| Serving IP Address (pay-dhl-invoice[.]com) | 160.160.3.33 |
| 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. |
Spam campaigns in general
We have investigated thousands of deceptive emails; "Adobe Sign email scam", "CONFIRM DELIVERY INFORMATION", "OneDrive Purchase Order", "The Bored Ape Pixel Club", "American Express Credit/Refund Adjustment Message", and "DHL Express Notification" are merely some of our latest finds.
Various scams are facilitated through spam mail, and it is also used to proliferate trojans, ransomware, and other malware.
Spam letters can be basic and riddled with numerous errors. However, they can also be competently crafted and well-disguised as messages from legitimate service providers, companies, organizations, institutions, authorities, and other entities.
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Spam campaigns are commonly used to proliferate malware. Deceptive emails/messages include malicious files as attachments or download links. These files can be in various formats, e.g., archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), documents (PDF, Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, etc.), JavaScript, and so on.
Once an infectious file is opened – the malware download/installation process is triggered. However, some formats may require additional user interaction to jumpstart infection chains. For example, Microsoft Office files need users to enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content), while OneNote documents require them to click on embedded files or links.
How to avoid installation of malware?
We highly recommend treating incoming emails and other messages with care. Attachments or links found in suspicious mail must not be opened, as they can be virulent. It is important to use Microsoft Office versions released after 2010 since they have the "Protected View" mode that prevents automatic macro command execution.
However, malware is not proliferated only via spam mail. Therefore, we also advise caution while browsing since fake and dangerous online content usually appears legitimate and innocuous.
Additionally, all downloads must be performed from official and trustworthy sources. Another recommendation is to activate and update software by using functions/tools provided by genuine developers, as illegal activation tools ("cracks") and third-party updates may contain malware.
It is paramount to have a reputable anti-virus installed and kept up-to-date. 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 "DHL Delivery Payment" spam email letter:
Subject: Required action
DHL
Dear Valued Customer,
We hope this email finds you well. We wanted to bring your attention to a pending matter regarding your shipment with DHL Express, tracking number 82938456.
As a valued customer, we strive to provide you with efficient and prompt service. However, we need your cooperation to proceed with the delivery of your package. We kindly request that you confirm the payment for the home delivery costs, which amounts to just 2.99 USD.
Send my package
Screenshot of the fake DHL website promoted by this spam campaign:
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Quick menu:
- What is "DHL Delivery Payment" 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?
Cyber criminals distribute spam emails in large-scale campaigns – hence, 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 account credentials – immediately change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support. And if you've provided other private information (e.g., ID card details, credit card numbers, etc.) – contact the appropriate authorities without delay.
I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?
No, merely opening/reading an email will not initiate any system infection processes. 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 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 triggering an infection if it was a document (.doc, .xls, .one, .pdf, etc.). These formats can require additional actions (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 remove threats. It is capable of eliminating practically all known malware infections. Note that running a complete system scan is essential – since sophisticated malicious software usually hides deep within systems.
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