Do not trust fake "SecureMailBox - Account Reconfirmation" emails

What kind of email is "SecureMailBox - Account Reconfirmation"?

Our examination of the "SecureMailBox - Account Reconfirmation" email revealed that it is spam. Letters belonging to this campaign promote a phishing scam that targets email log-in credentials. These fake emails claim that recipients must urgently reconfirm their accounts – to avoid their deletion.

"SecureMailBox - Account Reconfirmation" email scam overview

The scam email with the subject "Action Required! Mailbox Closure" (may vary) claims that since the COVID-19 pandemic, the recipient has neglected notifications regarding account reconfirmation. Additionally, it was discovered that their mailbox is against the provider's policies, as it was registered using a fake identity. The issues must be rectified within several hours – otherwise, the account will be deleted.

As mentioned in the introduction, all the claims made by this email are false, and this mail is in no way associated with any legitimate service providers.

After following the link presented in this letter, we were redirected to a phishing website. It was disguised as an email sign-in page. By attempting to sign in through this site, the user will expose their account to scammers. What is more, the cyber criminals may also steal the content registered through the email.

To elaborate on the potential misuse, scammers can steal the identities of social account owners (e.g., emails, social networking, messengers, chats, etc.) and ask the contacts/friends/followers for loans or donations, promote scams, and proliferate malware by sharing malicious files/links.

Furthermore, hijacked finance-related accounts (e.g., online banking, e-commerce, digital wallets, etc.) can be used to make fraudulent transactions or online purchases.

To summarize, victims of spam mail like "SecureMailBox - Account Reconfirmation" 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 contact their official support.

Threat Summary:

Name	"SecureMailBox - Account Reconfirmation" phishing email
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Email account requires reconfirmation to prevent its deletion.
Related Domains	cablers[.]shop
Detection Names (cablers[.]shop)	Fortinet (Spam), Sophos (Spam), 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. ▼ 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.

Phishing spam campaign examples

We have analyzed thousands of spam emails; "Email Account Storage Limit Is Almost", "Email Routine Check", "Deceased Relative", "Documents And Funds Have Been Credited" – are just a few examples of ones used for phishing.

Various scams are promoted through spam mail, e.g., tech support, refund, lottery, inheritance, etc. Deceptive emails are also used to spread trojans, ransomware, cryptominers, and other malware.

Due to how widespread spam mail is and how potentially well-crafted it can be – we strongly advise exercising caution with incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Spam campaigns proliferate malware through malicious files, which can be attached to or linked inside the emails/messages. These files can be archives (RAR, ZIP, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), documents (Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, PDF, etc.), JavaScript, and so forth.

When such a file is executed, run, or otherwise – the infection chain is initiated. Some formats may require additional interaction to jumpstart malware download/installation processes. For example, Microsoft Office documents need users to enable macro commands (e.g., editing/content), while OneNote files require them to click embedded links/files.

How to avoid installation of malware?

It is essential to be careful with incoming emails and other messages. Attachments or links found in suspect mail must not be opened, as they can be malicious. We recommend using post-2010 Microsoft Office versions since their "Protected View" mode prevents automatic macro execution.

However, malware is not spread exclusively via spam mail. Therefore, we also advise being vigilant while browsing since fake and dangerous online content usually appears legitimate and harmless.

Furthermore, all downloads must be performed from official and verified channels. Another recommendation is to activate and update programs using functions/tools provided by genuine developers, as illegal activation ("cracking") tools and third-party updaters can contain malware.

We must emphasize the importance of having a reputable anti-virus installed and kept up-to-date. Security software must be used to run regular system scans and to remove detected 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 "SecureMailBox - Account Reconfirmation" spam email letter:

Subject: Action Required! Mailbox Closure

SecureMailBox

Dear ******** ,

Since recent Corona(COVID-19) OUTBREAK, you have neglected our notifications that your account needs reconfirmation. We detected
that this account was registered using false identity which is against our protocols.

Click here to confirm your details.

Note: If you don't comply, your mail box will be trashed down permanently. You have been given few hours deadline.

Thank you

******** Secure® 2023.

Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by the "SecureMailBox - Account Reconfirmation" 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:
▼ 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 "SecureMailBox - Account Reconfirmation" 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?

Spam emails are not personal. Cyber criminals distribute this mail in large-scale campaigns – therefore, thousands of users receive identical emails.

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

If you have provided your log-in credentials – immediately change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support without delay. And if you've disclosed other private data (e.g., ID card details, passport photos/scans, credit card numbers, etc.) – contact relevant authorities without delay.

I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?

Devices are infected when malicious attachments or links are opened/clicked; hence, merely reading an email will not initiate system infection processes.

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

If the opened file was an executable (.exe, .run, etc.) – most likely, yes – your device was compromised. However, you might have avoided an infection if it was a document (.doc, .xls, .pdf, .one, etc.). These formats can require additional user interaction to start downloading/installing malware (e.g., enabling macro commands, clicking embedded files/links, etc.).

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Yes, Combo Cleaner is designed to detect and eliminate threats. It is capable of removing practically all known malware infections. Note that performing a full system scan is paramount – since sophisticated malicious software typically hides deep within systems.

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