How to spot scams like "A New Sign-in On Windows"
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is "A New Sign-in On Windows"?
After examination, it has been determined that this email constitutes a phishing scam. The perpetrators behind this fraudulent campaign intend to deceive recipients into disclosing sensitive information on a deceptive website. Consequently, it is highly advised to disregard and refrain from responding to this email.
More about the "A New Sign-in On Windows" scam email
The phishing email appears to notify the recipient about a new sign-in on their account from a Windows device. It suggests that no further action is needed if the recipient recognizes this sign-in. However, if it was not the recipient, they are prompted to click on a "Check activity" link for assistance in securing their account.
The email concludes by stating that it was sent to inform the recipient of important changes to their account and services. The "Check activity" button in this phishing email directs recipients to a counterfeit email account sign-in page that closely imitates the official site, adapting its appearance to match the recipient's email provider.
For example, if the recipient uses Gmail, the page will mimic the Gmail sign-in website. The purpose of this fake page is to lure unsuspecting users into providing their email account login credentials (email addresses and passwords).
Scammers can exploit stolen email account login credentials in various harmful ways. They may gain unauthorized access to the victim's personal and sensitive information, such as emails, contacts, and documents, which can be used for identity theft or fraud.
Also, scammers can use the compromised email account to launch phishing attacks, sending malicious emails to the victim's contacts or using the account to further propagate scams. Additionally, they may attempt to reset passwords for other online accounts associated with the victim's email address, potentially gaining access to banking, social media, or e-commerce accounts.
Additionally, scammers may try to access other accounts using the obtained credentials. Lastly, the stolen credentials can be sold on the dark web, contributing to a broader ecosystem of cybercrime.
| Name | A New Sign-in On Windows Email Scam |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | A new sign-in on the recipient's account has been detected |
| Disguise | Letter from an email 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. |
Similar scam emails in general
Phishing emails often contain content that aims to deceive recipients. This can include impersonating trusted entities like banks, government agencies, or popular websites. Many phishing emails create a sense of urgency or alarm to prompt immediate action, such as claiming an account is compromised or that there's a time-sensitive issue requiring attention.
Phishing emails often request sensitive information like passwords, credit card details, or social security numbers. Also, they can contain links to malicious websites or include attachments that may contain malware.
Examples of phishing emails are "A Payment Has Been Posted On Your Card", "You Have Used All Your Available Storage Space", and "You Have eFax Message".
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Users can inadvertently infect their computers through email in several ways. One common method is by opening attachments sent by malicious actors. These attachments can contain malware, and when opened, the malware may infiltrate the user's system, potentially compromising its security.
In addition to attachments, some emails may persuade recipients to enable macros in attached documents. This seemingly harmless action can activate malicious scripts within the document, leading to a potential infection.
Another way users can inadvertently infect their computers via email is by interacting with malicious links embedded in emails. Clicking on these links can redirect users to malicious websites, where various tactics, such as drive-by downloads or social engineering, can be employed to introduce malware onto the system.
How to avoid installation of malware?
To avoid malware, always stay cautious when dealing with email attachments and links, especially if you do not know the sender or the email seems suspicious. Do not click on ads from untrusted sources, and avoid visiting sketchy websites.
Regularly update your operating system, apps, and web browsers to keep your system safe. Only use trustworthy sources like official websites or app stores when you download files or programs. 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 "A New Sign-in On Windows" email letter:
A new sign-in on Windows
-
We noticed a new sign-in to your pcrisk.com Account on a Windows device. If this was you, you don’t need to do anything. If not, we’ll help you secure your account.
Check activity
You can also see security activity at
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You received this email to let you know about important changes to your egritech.org Account and services.
© 2023 egritech.org LLC,
Phishing page promoted via this email:
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 A New Sign-in On Windows phishing campaign?
- 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 send the same message to thousands of people, hoping that at least one person will fall for it. Typically, these spam emails are not personalized and are very generic.
I have provided my personal information when tricked by this email, what should I do?
If scammers have stolen your email account login credentials, take immediate action. First, change the passwords for any accounts where you have used the same login information, especially those involving financial or sensitive data. Additionally, report the security breach to your email service provider without delay.
I have downloaded and opened a file attached to this email, is my computer infected?
When handling files, the risk of infection is significantly higher when dealing with executable files (.exe). However, when it comes to file types like .pdf or .doc, there is a chance that you might not get infected simply by opening such documents, as some malware may not be able to compromise your computer through this action alone.
I have read the email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?
Merely opening an email is generally safe, as it does not inherently carry any risk. The potential for system infections arises when users engage with the email by clicking on links within it or opening attached files.
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections that were present in email attachment?
Combo Cleaner is equipped to detect and eliminate the vast majority of known malware infections. However, advanced malware can conceal itself deeply within the system. Therefore, as a precaution, conducting a thorough system scan is essential to ensure the detection and removal of any potential threats.
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