Avoid losing your account via "NEW DOCUMENT(S) FOR REVIEW ON CLOUD" emails
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What kind of email is "NEW DOCUMENT(S) FOR REVIEW ON CLOUD"?
Our examination of the "NEW DOCUMENT(S) FOR REVIEW ON CLOUD" email revealed that it is spam. This phishing letter aims to deceive recipients into disclosing their email account log-in credentials by claiming that they were sent sensitive documents.
"NEW DOCUMENT(S) FOR REVIEW ON CLOUD" email scam overview
The spam email with the subject "AUTOMATED NOTIFICATION" (may vary) merely states that the recipient has new documents for review on their cloud storage.
It must be stressed that the claim made by this email is false, and this mail is in no way associated with any legitimate service providers.
After we pressed the "VIEW DOCUMENT" button, we were redirected to a phishing website. The page informs the visitor that the files are sensitive and have been secured from unauthorized access. Viewing the documents requires the user to provide their email account log-in credentials.
If this information is entered into this site, it will be recorded and sent to scammers. Hence, victims of this scam can lose their email accounts and potentially the content registered through them.
To expand on the potential misuse, cyber criminals can steal the identities of social account owners (e.g., emails, social media, social networking, messengers, chats, etc.) and ask the contacts/friends for loans or donations, promote scams, or proliferate malware by sharing malicious files/links.
Furthermore, finance-related accounts (e.g., online banking, money transferring, e-commerce, cryptowallets, etc.) can be used to make fraudulent transactions or online purchases. Should any confidential or compromising content be found on data storage or similar platforms – it could be used for blackmail or other nefarious purposes.
To summarize, by trusting an email like "NEW DOCUMENT(S) FOR REVIEW ON CLOUD" – users may experience severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.
If you have already entered your log-in credentials into a phishing website – immediately change the passwords of all possibly compromised accounts and contact their official support.
| Name | "NEW DOCUMENT(S) FOR REVIEW ON CLOUD" phishing email |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | New documents on the recipient's cloud require review. |
| 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
"Central Bank Of Nigeria", "Check Out These Messages!", and "Repair Response" are just a couple examples of phishing emails we have inspected recently. These letters primarily target log-in credentials, personally identifiable details, and finance-related data.
However, spam mail is used to promote various other scams and even to distribute malware. These emails can be basic and riddled with errors or competently disguised as messages from legitimate service providers, companies, institutions, authorities, and other entities.
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Cyber criminals commonly use spam campaigns to proliferate malware. Deceptive emails/messages have malicious files attached to or linked inside them. These files come in various formats, e.g., archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), documents (PDF, Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, etc.), JavaScript, and so forth.
Malware download/installation chains are initiated when a virulent file is opened. However, some formats may require additional user interaction to jumpstart system infection processes. For example, Microsoft Office files need users to enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content), while OneNote documents require them to click embedded files or links.
How to avoid installation of malware?
We strongly advise exercising caution with incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages. Attachments or links found in dubious/irrelevant mail must not be opened, as they can be infectious. We recommend using Microsoft Office versions released after 2010 since their "Protected View" mode prevents automatic macro execution.
It is noteworthy that malware is not spread only via spam mail. Therefore, we also advise downloading only from official and verified sources. Additionally, all programs must be activated and updated using genuine functions/tools, as illegal activation ("cracking") tools and third-party updaters can contain malware.
Another recommendation is to be careful while browsing since fake and malicious online content usually appears legitimate and harmless.
It is essential to have a reputable anti-virus installed and kept up-to-date. This software must be used to perform regular system scans and to remove threats and 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 "NEW DOCUMENT(S) FOR REVIEW ON CLOUD" spam email letter:
Subject: AUTOMATED NOTIFICATION
YOU HAVE NEW DOCUMENT(S) FOR REVIEW ON - CLOUD
VIEW DOCUMENT
Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by this spam campaign:
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:
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Quick menu:
- What is "NEW DOCUMENT(S) FOR REVIEW ON CLOUD" 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 spam mail in massive campaigns with the hopes that at least some recipients will fall for their scams.
I have provided my personal information when tricked by this spam email, what should I do?
If you have disclosed your account credentials – change the passwords of all potentially exposed accounts and inform their official support without delay. And if the provided information was of a different personal nature (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?
Malware download/installation processes are triggered when malicious attachments or links are opened/clicked. Hence, 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 an infection if it was a document (.doc, .pdf, .xls, .one, etc.). These formats may need extra actions (e.g., enabling macro commands, clicking embedded content, etc.) to initiate malware download/installation chains.
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?
Yes, Combo Cleaner is designed to remove all manner of threats. It can detect and eliminate practically all known malware infections. Note that performing a complete system scan is crucial – since sophisticated malicious programs tend to hide deep within systems.
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