How to spot scams like "Documents And Funds Have Been Credited"

What is "Documents And Funds Have Been Credited"?

Upon conducting a comprehensive examination, our team has determined that the purpose of this email is to deceive recipients into divulging their personal information. Emails of this kind are categorized as phishing attempts. In this case, scammers aim to lure recipients into entering sensitive details via the attached file.

More about the "Documents And Funds Have Been Credited" scam email

This phishing email informs recipients that Escrow documents and funds have been credited. The email further extends an invitation to virtual meetings. The message is designed to appear legitimate but is part of a phishing attempt aimed at tricking recipients into revealing personal information.

The attached file in this email, named with a fake payment number and in .htm format, is crafted to launch a counterfeit sign-in website with the intent of illicitly obtaining email account login credentials. It is noteworthy that this deceptive sign-in site mimics the appearance of a genuine webpage tailored to match the recipient's email address.

For instance, if the recipient uses Gmail as their email service provider, the fraudulent page poses as the Gmail sign-in portal. Scammers can misuse obtained email account login credentials in various ways. They can misuse stolen email account login credentials in several ways, including identity theft, financial fraud and email hijacking.

Also, scammers can engage in spam and phishing attacks, data theft, ransom or blackmail attempts, and unauthorized access to other online services. Thus, is is highly advisable not to enter personal information on suspicious pages.

Threat Summary:

Name	Documents And Funds Have Been Credited Email Scam
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Escrow documents and funds have been credited
Detection Names (Attachment)	Avast (HTML:Phishing-CMG), Combo Cleaner (JS:Trojan.Cryxos.13071), Emsisoft (JS:Trojan.Cryxos.13071 (B)), Ikarus (Phishing.HTML.Doc), Microsoft (Trojan:Win32/Phonzy.B!ml), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Disguise	Letter from accounts payable
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 have common traits: they often impersonate trusted entities, use urgent or threatening language to prompt quick action, contain suspicious links or attachments, and request sensitive information. These emails may lack personalization, contain spelling errors, and make unusual or unexpected requests.

Examples of phishing campaigns are "Password Marked For Deletion", "Unsuccessful Search For Relatives", and "Web Mail Scam".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Users can unintentionally compromise their computer's security when they interact with attachments or links in deceptive emails. These fraudulent emails usually include attachments like PDFs, Microsoft Office documents (e.g., Word or Excel), JavaScript files, executable files with .exe extensions, ISO files, or archive files such as ZIP or RAR.

When users open such attachments or click on the provided hyperlinks, they may unknowingly initiate the download and activation of malicious software.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Be vigilant when dealing with emails from unfamiliar or questionable sources, especially if they include attachments or links. Obtain software and files solely from trustworthy sources like official websites or stores. Avoid risky platforms such as unofficial app stores, peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, and similar sources.

Install reliable antivirus or anti-malware software on your computer and keep it up to date. Make sure your operating system and other software applications are also regularly updated. Exercise caution when dealing with advertisements, pop-up notifications, or links on websites that seem suspicious.

If you have already opened malicious attachments, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.

Text presented in the "Documents And Funds Have Been Credited" email letter:

Subject: New Invoice Remittance on 9/13/2023 8:34:22 a.m.

FYI -,

Today 9/13/2023 8:34:22 a.m. I would like to inform you that the
Escrow documents and funds have been credited.
Please be aware that you are cordially invited to the upcoming
virtual meetings.

Thanks,
Best Regards

Account Payble

Escrow documents and funds have been credited.

Fake sign-in site opened via the attached file:

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 Documents And Funds Have Been Credited phishing scam?
• 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?

Criminals send identical letters to thousands of individuals, banking on the chance that they will deceive someone. Usually, phishing emails lack personalization and are sent en masse.

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

In the event that personal information, such as your email account login details, has been inadvertently exposed, it is essential to act promptly. Reset your passwords, carefully monitor your accounts for any irregular or suspicious activities, and inform your email service provider.

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

No, the file attached to this email cannot infect computers with malware. However, attachments can be designed to distribute malware.

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

No, merely opening an email is entirely safe. Computers cannot be infected unless malicious files or links are opened.

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

Combo Cleaner can identify and eliminate almost all known malware infections. Nevertheless, it is crucial to recognize that advanced or high-end malware often hides deeply within the system. This underscores the significance of conducting a thorough system scan to ensure comprehensive removal.

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