How to spot scams like "IPS Pending Package Delivery"

What is "IPS Pending Package Delivery"?

Upon examination, it has become apparent that it is a phishing email disguised as notification from IPS regarding a pending package delivery. The perpetrators behind this scheme have crafted the message with the intention of deceiving recipients into divulging sensitive personal information.

More about the "IPS Pending Package Delivery" scam email

This email appears to be impersonating IPS (International Parcel Service) and claims to be notifying the recipient about a pending package delivery. The email states that there is one package awaiting delivery and prompts the recipient to use a provided tracking code, "IPS475528176BPY" (the code may vary), to track and receive the package.

Additionally, there is a "Track your package" button. However, this email is a fraudulent attempt to trick recipients into disclosing personal information. The provided button leads to a fake UPS website where visitors are presented with a short message and the "Schedule your delivery" button.

Clicking the aforementioned button leads to another deceptive website where visitors are requested to provide information such as first and last name, email address, phone number, address, ZIP code, city, state, and credit card details (card number, expiry date, and CVV code). When scammers successfully obtain sensitive information, they exploit it for various fraudulent activities.

Scammers may engage in identity theft, using the gathered personal details to create fake identities or commit financial fraud. Additionally, the stolen credit card information can be used to make unauthorized transactions, leading to financial losses for the individuals whose information has been compromised.

Moreover, scammers may sell the obtained information on the dark web, contributing to a thriving underground market for stolen personal and financial data. This information can be bought and utilized by other malicious actors for a range of illicit purposes, exacerbating the potential harm to the individuals whose data was initially compromised.

Threat Summary:

Name	IPS Pending Package Delivery Email Scam
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	One package awaits delivery
Disguise	Letter from International Parcel Service (IPS)
Related Domain	ecommercemegadeals[.]com
Detection Names (ecommercemegadeals[.]com)	Avira (Phishing), 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.

Similar scam emails in general

Phishing emails typically employ urgent or alarming subject lines to prompt quick action, creating a sense of urgency or fear. These emails often mimic trusted entities, such as banks, online services, or delivery companies, using official logos and language to appear legitimate.

Also, they commonly contain clickable links or attachments that, when interacted with, lead to fraudulent websites or download malicious content. Overall, the common thread among phishing emails is their intent to trick individuals into divulging sensitive information or engaging in actions that compromise their security.

Examples of phishing campaigns are "DHL Unpaid Duty", "Microsoft Security Team - Password Expiration", and "Quarantine Area".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Users can infect computers through email attachments that contain malicious software. These attachments can be disguised as innocent documents, archives, images, or other files, tricking users into opening them. Once opened, the malware can be executed, compromising the user's computer.

Another common avenue for email-based infections is through links embedded in messages. These links, when clicked, direct users to fraudulent websites designed to deliver malware.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Exercise caution when dealing with unsolicited emails, especially those with unexpected attachments or links. Do not interact with links or files in such emails. Install and regularly update reputable antivirus and anti-malware software on your computer. Regularly update your operating system, antivirus solution, browsers, and other applications to patch security vulnerabilities.

Avoid visiting suspicious websites, and be cautious when clicking on ads or pop-ups. Do not download pirated software or use P2P networks, third-party downloaders, and similar sources for downloading files or programs. Obtain software from official pages or app stores.

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 "IPS Pending Package Delivery" email letter:

Subject: Please confirm receipt, Customer No. 31625480669#

ips
International Parcel Service

PENDING PACKAGE DELIVERY

You have (1) package awaiting delivery. Use your code to track it out and receive it

Your tracking code:

IPS475528176BPY

[Track your package]

The appearance of a fake page presented in this email and a phishing page opened through it (GIF):

Screenshot of the initial page:

Screenshot of the phishing page used to steal information:

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▼ 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 IPS Pending Package Delivery 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?

Criminals distribute identical letters to a multitude of recipients, banking on the likelihood that someone will be misled through the widespread circulation. These spam emails are devoid of personalization and strategically crafted to target a broad audience and exploit the vulnerability of unsuspecting victims.

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

If you have divulged any account credentials, it is essential to swiftly change all passwords. If you have revealed other personal details, such as credit card information, it is recommended to promptly notify the relevant authorities.

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

Downloading and opening a malicious file from an email can infect your computer with malware. It depends on the file type. For example, opening an executable is more likely to infect your computer than opening a document.

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

Reading the email itself without opening the attachment does not infect your computer.

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

Combo Cleaner can find and remove nearly all known malware infections. It is crucial to remember that advanced malware often hides deeply within the system. That is why conducting a thorough system scan is necessary for optimal detection and removal.

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