How to spot phishing campaigns like "OVHCloud Suspension"

What kind of scam is "OVHCloud Suspension"?

While investigating this email, our team identified it as a clever phishing attempt disguised as a notice from a cloud service provider. Scammers use this tactic to entice unsuspecting recipients to access a phishing page and submit their personal information. As a result, recipients are advised to disregard this email.

More about the "OVHCloud Suspension" scam email

This email purports to be from OVHcloud. It claims that the recipient is the primary contact for a specific domain name. The email asserts that the purpose of the communication is to alert the recipient about critical changes to their OVHCloud products. It states that reminders are sent at various intervals (60, 30, 15, 7, and 3 days) before product expiration.

The email urges the recipient to take swift action by visiting an "official" website and initiating the renewal process using a provided link to prevent domain suspension. The email notes that multiple payment methods are accepted but emphasizes that credit card payments are preferred for faster processing.

Also, the email warns that failure to make the required payment within the next 48 hours could lead to permanent termination of the domain name. It is important to mention that OVHcloud is a legitimate cloud computing company that has nothing to do with this scam.

The email contains a hyperlink marked as "avoid suspension". Clicking on this link leads to a fraudulent login webpage that closely mimics the design of the actual page, adapting it to match the recipient's email address. As an illustration, if the recipient utilizes Outlook, the deceptive page impersonates the appearance of a Microsoft site.

The page promoted via this scam email aims to lure recipients into entering their email account login credentials. Once scammers gain access to email account login credentials, they can engage in various malicious activities. They may exploit the compromised account to send phishing emails to the victim's contacts, attempting to extract sensitive information or distribute malware.

Additionally, scammers can gain access to personal and confidential emails, enabling identity theft, financial fraud, or unauthorized access to other online accounts linked to the compromised email and the accounts that use the same login credentials.

Threat Summary:

Name	OVHCloud Suspension Email Scam
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Domain name will be suspended
Disguise	Letter from cloud service provider
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.

Similar scam emails in general

Most phishing emails employ urgent or threatening language to create a sense of urgency, urging recipients to take immediate action. Also, phishing emails frequently contain grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. These emails typically include deceptive links or attachments, aiming to redirect recipients to fraudulent websites or deliver malicious payloads.

Examples of phishing emails are "Suspicious Malwares Detected", "American Express Account Has Been Locked", and "You Have Received A Secure Message".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Users can inadvertently infect their computers through malicious email attachments or links. When users open attachments, such as infected documents or executables, malware can be executed, compromising the system. Clicking on malicious links within emails can lead to phishing websites or downloading malware directly onto the computer.

The most commonly used files to deliver malware via email include executable files (such as .exe), Microsoft Office documents (e.g., .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx), PDF files (.pdf), ISO files, JavaScript files, and compressed archive formats (e.g., .zip, .rar).

How to avoid installation of malware?

Be vigilant when accessing email attachments or clicking links, particularly from unfamiliar or questionable origins. Keep your operating system, software, and security tools up to date to address known vulnerabilities. Utilize trustworthy antivirus and anti-malware software to identify and prevent malicious content.

Furthermore, exercise care when obtaining software or files from unauthenticated sources, and maintain secure browsing practices by refraining from interacting with advertisements or links on suspicious websites.

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 "OVHCloud Suspension" email letter:

Subject: OVHcloud: Notice of imminent suspension of your - domain name!

OVHcloud
OVHcloud

Dear Customer,

You are receiving this message because you are the primary contact for your - domain name.
We inform you about the evolution of your products at OVHCloud and we send you a reminder every 60, 30, 15, 7 and 3 days before they expire.

If you want to keep this domain, just go to our site, and use the renewal order:  avoid suspension

NB: Payment can be made via one of the payment methods offered. But we recommend paying by credit card to speed up processing; In the event of non-payment within 2 days, your domain could be DEFINITIVELY erased.
Thank you for your understanding.
Cordially,
Your OVH Customer Service

Copyright © 2023 Ovhcloud, Inc.
2 rue Kellermann, 75009 Paris, BP 80157

www.ovhcloud[.]com |  Community

Screenshot of the phishing website:

Instant automatic malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ 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 OVHCloud Suspension 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?

Scammers distribute identical letters to numerous recipients, aiming for someone to be deceived by the content. These spam emails lack personalization and are sent en masse.

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

Immediately change the password of the compromised email account. Apply the same to other accounts that might be compromised. If you cannot access your account, notify your email service (or other service) provider.

I have downloaded and opened a malicious file attached to an email, is my computer infected?

If the file was an executable, the likelihood is high. However, if it was a document (such as .pdf or .doc), there's a chance you could have evaded infection, as merely opening the document might not always lead to malware infiltration into the system.

I have read the email but did not open the attachment, is my computer infected?

No, the act of opening an email alone poses no harm. It is the act of opening links within the email or opening attached files that can result in system infections.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections that were present in email attachment?

Combo Cleaner possesses the capability to identify and eradicate nearly all known malware infections. It is necessary to note that sophisticated malware often conceals itself deeply within the system. Consequently, conducting a comprehensive system scan is imperative to address this concern effectively.

▼ Show Discussion