Do not trust fake "Increase Your Mail Box Storage Capacity" emails
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What kind of email is "Increase Your Mail Box Storage Capacity"?
Our inspection of the "Increase Your Mail Box Storage Capacity" email revealed that it is spam. This bogus email claims that the recipient's mailbox has reached its storage capacity and urges them to increase it. By attempting to do so, the recipient is lured into a phishing website that targets log-in credentials.
"Increase Your Mail Box Storage Capacity" email scam overview
The spam email with the subject "Action Required: mailbox error" (may vary) states that the recipient's account storage has reached its 25 GB capacity. Due to this, several messages have failed to reach the inbox and are currently pending. The recipient is encouraged to sign into their account via the provided link and increase the storage to 50 GB, thus allowing incoming messages.
It must be stressed that these claims are false, and this email is in no way associated with any legitimate service providers.
After we pressed the link, we were redirected to a phishing website. It requested the visitor to log-in with their email credentials. By attempting to do so, the user will expose their email account to scammers. The threat exceeds that of losing an email, as the cyber criminals may also steal the accounts/platforms registered through it.
To elaborate on the potential misuse, scammers can steal the identities of social account owners (e.g., emails, messengers, social networking, social media, etc.) and ask the contacts/friends/followers for loans, promote scams, and proliferate malware by sharing malicious links/files.
Any sensitive/confidential/compromising content found on data storage or similar platforms – could be used for blackmail or other nefarious purposes. Furthermore, finance-related accounts (e.g., online banking, e-commerce, digital wallets, etc.) can be used to facilitate fraudulent transactions and online purchases.
To summarize, victims of scam mail like "Increase Your Mail Box Storage Capacity" can experience serious 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 exposed accounts and contact their official support.
| Name | "Increase Your Mail Box Storage Capacity" phishing email |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Mailbox storage capacity has been reached and incoming messages are failing delivery. |
| Related Domains | hjh98[.]ru |
| Detection Names (hjh98[.]ru) | Combo Cleaner (Malware), CRDF (Malicious), Criminal IP (Phishing), CyRadar (Malicious), G-Data (Malware), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
| Serving IP Address (hjh98[.]ru) | 172.67.195.203 |
| 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
"Password Needs To Be Retained Urgently", "Password Change Request", "IMAP Termination Process", and "Server Warning" are merely some examples of phishing emails we have investigated recently.
These emails are notorious for being full of various errors, but they can also be competently disguised as messages from genuine service providers, companies, institutions, authorities, and other entities. Phishing is not the only type of scam promoted through spam mail; these emails are also used to distribute malware.
Due to how widespread this mail is and how well-made it can be – we highly recommend being careful with incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages.
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Cyber criminals commonly use spam campaigns to spread all manner of malware. Deceptive emails/messages can include infectious files as attachments or download links.
The 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 on. Once a virulent file is executed, run, or otherwise opened – the malware download/installation chain is initiated.
However, some formats may require extra actions to jumpstart system infection processes. For example, Microsoft Office documents need users to enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content), while OneNote files require them to click embedded files or links.
How to avoid installation of malware?
It is paramount to treat incoming emails and other messages with caution. We advise against opening attachments or links found in suspicious/irrelevant mail, as they can be malicious. We recommend using post-2010 Microsoft Office versions since they have the "Protected View" mode that prevents automatic macro execution.
However, malware is not proliferated only via spam mail. Therefore, we also advise being vigilant while browsing, as fraudulent and dangerous online content usually appears genuine and innocuous.
Furthermore, all downloads must be performed from official and verified sources. Another recommendation is to activate and update programs by using legitimate functions/tools, as illegal activation ("cracking") tools and third-party updates may contain malware.
It is essential for device/user safety to have a reputable anti-virus installed and kept updated. This 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 "Increase Your Mail Box Storage Capacity" spam email letter:
Subject: Action Required: mailbox error
********
Dear ********
Your Mailbox (********) has reached it Limit of (25GB) Capacity Allocated, You have some messages pending on the server.
Please you need to login to the web address below to Increase your Mail box Storage Capacity to 50GB to allow you receive the new incoming messages pending on the server.
Follow the Web-address to increase your storage capacity-
Please allow 15 minutes to activate the account.
Regards
IT Help Desk
******** Administrator Server
Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by the "Increase Your Mail Box Storage Capacity" spam campaign:
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Quick menu:
- What is "Increase Your Mail Box Storage Capacity" 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 them in large-scale operations 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 compromised accounts and inform their official support without delay. However, if you've provided other private data (e.g., ID card details, passport scans/photos, credit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact relevant authorities.
I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?
No, opening/reading an email will not trigger any system infection processes. Devices are compromised when malicious attachments or links are opened.
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 – since these files cause infections almost without fail.
However, you might have avoided compromising the system if it was a document (.doc, .xls, .one, .pdf, etc.). These formats can require additional user interaction to start downloading/installing malware (e.g., enabling macro commands, clicking embedded files or links, etc.).
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?
Yes, Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and eliminating practically all known malware infections. It must be stressed that since sophisticated malicious software usually hides deep within systems – performing a complete system scan is crucial.
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