Do not trust fake "American Express - Update Your Account Information" emails
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What kind of email is "American Express - Update Your Account Information"?
After inspecting the "American Express - Update Your Account Information" email, we determined that it is fake. It notifies the recipient of an "important security check" that requires them to update their American Express account. This phishing mail aims to deceive recipients into disclosing their log-in credentials.
It must be emphasized that all the claims made by this email are false, and this mail is in no way associated with the actual American Express Company.
"American Express - Update Your Account Information" email scam overview
The scam email with the subject "We Couldn't Get To You On Phone ! Secure Your Card Account" (may vary) requests the recipient to update their American Express account. The fake letter states that it is necessary for the account owner to confirm their email address and phone number to reduce the risk of identity theft. Failure to comply within 24 hours will supposedly result in the cancellation of incoming/outgoing card transactions.
When we opened the file – "American_Express_Email_UpdateSecurity.html" (filename may vary) – attached to this spam email, we learned that it is a phishing file. This HTML document imitates the American Express account sign-in page. Log-in credentials entered into this file will be recorded and sent to scammers.
Hence, the cyber criminals may steal the exposed account and use it to make fraudulent transactions and online purchases or perform other malicious activities.
To summarize, by trusting an email like "American Express - Update Your Account Information" – users can experience severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.
If you have already disclosed your log-in credentials – immediately change the passwords of all potentially compromised accounts and inform their official support. It might also be necessary to contact relevant authorities.
| Name | "American Express - Update Your Account Information" phishing email |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Recipient's American Express account must be updated. |
| Disguise | American Express |
| Attachment(s) | American_Express_Email_UpdateSecurity.html (filename may vary) |
| Detection Names | Avira (no cloud) (HTML/Phish.PCIK), Cynet (Malicious (score: 99)), DrWeb (HTML.FishForm.522), F-Secure (Malware.HTML/Phish.PCIK), Microsoft (Trojan:Win32/Phonzy.A!ml), Rising (Trojan.Phishing/HTML!8.11C79 (TOPIS:), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
| 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 analyzed thousands of spam emails; "American Express Account Has Been Locked", "American Express Merchant Reward", "American Express Credit/Refund Adjustment Message" – are merely a few examples of ones similar to "American Express - Update Your Account Information", and "Specialized Hacker Succeeded In Hacking Your Operating System", "You Mailbox Failed 2 Security Test", "Your Password Is Expiring", "Updated Terms of Use" – are some of our newest finds.
Spam mail is used to promote various scams, and it is utilized in malware proliferation. While infamous for their innumerable errors, spam emails can also be competently disguised as messages from legitimate companies, service providers, institutions, organizations, authorities, and other entities.
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Spam emails/messages can have malicious files attached to or linked inside them. These files can be archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), documents (Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, PDF, etc.), JavaScript, and so on.
When a virulent file is executed, run, or otherwise opened – the infection chain is triggered. Some formats may need additional actions to jumpstart malware download/installation chains. For example, Microsoft Office files require users to enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content), while OneNote documents need them to click embedded files/links.
How to avoid installation of malware?
We highly recommend being careful with incoming emails and messages. The attachments or links present in suspicious mail must not be opened, as they can be malicious. We advise using post-2010 Microsoft Office versions since they have the "Protected View" mode that prevents automatic macro command execution.
It must be mentioned that malware is not spread exclusively via spam mail. Therefore, we also recommend downloading only from official and trustworthy sources. Additionally, all programs must be activated and updated using legitimate functions/tools, as illegal activation tools ("cracks") and third-party updaters can contain malware.
Another recommendation is to be vigilant when browsing since fake and harmful online content typically appears genuine and innocuous.
We must emphasize the importance of having a reputable anti-virus installed and kept updated. 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 "American Express - Update Your Account Information" spam email letter:
Subject: We Couldn't Get To You On Phone ! Secure Your Card Account
Important Security Check
American Express
Dear Card Member
Account ending: ****
Update Your Account Information
We need you to confirm your email address and phone number for up to date account informations details to reduce identity theft.
To view the message, Open the attachment (message_zdm.html) and follow the instructions.
Failure to do this within 24 hours may lead to cancelation of incoming and outgoing transactions on your card account until you do so.
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Screenshot of the phishing file attached to this spam email ("American_Express_Email_UpdateSecurity.html"):
Appearance of the "American Express - Update Your Account Information" spam email (GIF):
Instant automatic malware removal:
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Quick menu:
- What is "American Express - Update Your Account Information" 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 these emails in massive 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 log-in credentials – change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support without delay. And if you've provided other information (e.g., ID card details, passport scans/photos, credit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact the appropriate authorities.
I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?
Infections are triggered when malicious attachments or links are opened. Therefore, merely reading an email is harmless.
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 this if it was a document (.doc, .xls, .pdf, .one, etc.). These formats may require additional 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 capable of detecting and eliminating practically all known malware infections. It must be stressed that performing a complete system scan is crucial since sophisticated malicious programs tend to hide deep within systems.
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