Avoid losing your email account via fake "Webmail Software Upgrade" emails

What kind of email is "Webmail Software Upgrade"?

After analyzing the "Webmail Software Upgrade" email, we determined that it is spam. This phishing mail aims to trick recipients into thinking that their email accounts need to be upgraded, thus deceiving them into disclosing their log-in credentials.

"Webmail Software Upgrade" email scam overview

The scam email states that webmail software is getting upgraded. The recipient is encouraged to upgrade their email account and avoid interruptions to the mail service.

It must be stressed that these claims are false, and this mail is in no way associated with any legitimate service providers or other entities.

After we clicked the "Email Update" button, we were redirected to a phishing website presented as an email account sign-in. Log-in credentials (i.e., email passwords) entered into this page will be recorded and sent to cyber criminals. Emails are typically used to register other content – hence, it might also get stolen.

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

Furthermore, finance-related accounts (e.g., online banking, money transferring, e-commerce, digital wallets, etc.) and make fraudulent transactions and/or online purchases. What is more, should any sensitive/compromising content be found on compromised data storage or similar platforms – it could be used for blackmail or other nefarious purposes.

To summarize, victims of scam mail like "Webmail Software Upgrade" can experience serious privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

If you have disclosed your log-in credentials – immediately change the passwords of all possibly compromised accounts and contact their official support.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Webmail Software Upgrade" phishing email
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Mail service interruptions are likely to occur unless the recipient upgrades their email account.
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

"RFQ Doc List", "Intuit QuickBooks Database Encryption Upgrade", "Voicemail Message Received", and "American Express - Account Validation Required" are merely some examples of phishing emails we have examined recently.

Spam mail is used to facilitate a wide variety of scams and even to spread malware (e.g., trojans, ransomware, cryptocurrency miners, etc.). These emails can be plain and full of errors, or they can be competently crafted as messages from legitimate companies, organizations, institutions, service providers, authorities, and other entities.

Due to how prevalent spam mail is and how widespread it can be – we highly recommend exercising caution with incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Spam campaigns are commonly used in malware proliferation. Malicious files can be attached to or linked inside spam emails/messages. These files can be executables (.exe, .run, etc.), archives (RAR, ZIP, etc.), documents (Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, PDF, etc.), JavaScript, and so forth.

When a virulent file is executed, run, or otherwise opened – the infection chain is initiated. However, some formats may need additional actions to trigger malware download/installation processes. 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?

It is essential to be careful with incoming emails and other messages. We advise against opening attachments or links found in dubious/irrelevant mail, as they can be infectious. We recommend using Microsoft Office versions released after 2010 since their "Protected View" mode prevents automatic macro command execution.

It must be mentioned that malware is not distributed exclusively via spam mail. Therefore, we also advise being vigilant when browsing, as fraudulent and malicious 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 software by using genuine functions/tools, 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 programs must be used to run regular system scans and to remove 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 "Webmail Software Upgrade" spam email letter:

Subject: Pending Message Notification For - id:-

Valued: -,

We are upgrading our webmail software.

Your action is required to upgrade the webmail software of your email.

To avoid any interruption in your email service, please upgrade your webmail today Friday, October 20, 2023.

Email Update

Sincerely,
© -. All Rights Reserved

Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by the "Webmail Software Upgrade" spam campaign:

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Quick menu:

• What is "Webmail Software Upgrade" 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. This mail is sent out in large-scale operations – 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 disclosed your account credentials – change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support without delay. And if you've provided other private information (e.g., ID card details, 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?

No, merely opening an email will not jumpstart any malware download/installation chains. Systems are infected when malicious attachments or links are opened.

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 infected. However, you might have avoided compromising the system if it was a document (.doc, .xls, .one, .pdf, etc.). These formats may need extra actions to jumpstart malware download/installation processes (e.g., enabling macro commands, clicking embedded content, etc.).

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and eliminate practically all known malware infections. Keep in mind that performing a complete system scan is essential since sophisticated malicious programs typically hide deep within systems.

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