Avoid losing your account via fake "Mailbox Password Security Update" emails

What kind of email is "Mailbox Password Security Update"?

After reviewing the "Mailbox Password Security Update" email, we determined that it is spam. The letter states that there are security issues with the recipient's mailbox. The purpose of this claim is to lure them into entering their log-in credentials into a phishing website.

"Mailbox Password Security Update" email scam overview

This spam email claims the recipient has not updated their mailbox password security since a specific date. Access to the email account will be lost due to a recent security upgrade. The recipient is instructed to click "VERIFY NOW" to avoid loss of access and secure the account.

As mentioned in the introduction, all these claims are false, and this mail is in no way associated with any legitimate service providers or other entities.

This letter promotes a phishing website that masquerades as an email sign-in page. Information (i.e., email password) entered into this webpage will be recorded and sent to cyber criminals. It must be mentioned that since emails are commonly used to register other accounts/platforms – the criminals may be able to gain access to them as well.

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

Meanwhile, hijacked finance-related accounts (e.g., online banking, money transferring, e-commerce, etc.) can be used to make unauthorized transactions or online purchases. Should any sensitive/confidential content be found on compromised data storage or similar platforms – it could be used for blackmail or other nefarious purposes.

In summary, victims of scam mail like "Mailbox Password Security Update" may experience serious privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

If you have already disclosed your log-in credentials – change the passwords of all potentially exposed accounts and contact their official support without delay.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Mailbox Password Security Update" phishing email
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Email account password security requires an update to avoid access loss.
Related Domains	makoshipping[.]com
Detection Names (makoshipping[.]com)	N/A (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address (makoshipping[.]com)	172.67.184.161
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

"SharePoint Settlement Agreement", "Alibaba", "DHL Agreement Documents", and "American Express - Unusual Spending Activities Detected" are just a few examples of phishing emails we have investigated recently.

Various scams are promoted through spam mail, and it is used to distribute malware (e.g., trojans, ransomware, etc.). Recipients can be tricked by a wide variety of claims made by this deceptive mail.

Spam emails can be basic and full of errors or elaborately disguised as messages from genuine service providers, companies, institutions, authorities, and other entities.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Spam campaigns are widely used in malware distribution. The emails/messages can include infectious files as attachments or download links. These files come in various formats, e.g., documents (Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, PDF, etc.), archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), JavaScript, and so forth.

When a malicious file is opened – the infection chain is initiated. Some formats can require additional user interaction to jumpstart system infection processes. For example, Microsoft Office files need users to enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content), while OneNote documents require them to click on embedded links/files.

How to avoid installation of malware?

We strongly recommend being careful with incoming emails, DMs/PMs, SMSes, and other messages. Attachments or links present in dubious/irrelevant mail must not be opened, as they can be virulent. Another recommendation is to use Microsoft Office versions released after 2010 since their "Protected View" mode prevents automatic macro execution.

It must be mentioned that malware is not spread exclusively via spam mail. Therefore, we also advise being vigilant while browsing, as fraudulent and malicious online content typically appears genuine and innocuous.

Furthermore, all downloads must be made from official and verified channels. It is important to activate and update software by using legitimate functions/tools, as illegal activation tools ("cracks") and third-party updaters can contain malware.

We must stress the importance of having a dependable anti-virus installed and kept updated. 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 "Mailbox Password Security Update" spam email letter:

Subject: - Mailbox Notification

******** Mail Notification

Dear ********,

Starting on January 16th, 2024, If you haven't updated your mailbox ******** password security,
you will lose access due to our recent security upgrade.
Act now to secure your account by clicking the link below to safeguard your account:

VERIFY NOW

Thank you,

Please do not reply to this message. Mail sent to cannot be answered.

© 2024 Mail Server Admin.

Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by the "Mailbox Password Security Update" spam campaign:

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Quick menu:

• What is "Mailbox Password Security Update" 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 massive 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 provided your log-in credentials – change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support. However, if you've disclosed other private information (e.g., ID card details, passport scans/photos, credit card numbers, etc.) – you must contact the appropriate authorities.

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

Systems are infected when malicious attachments or links are opened; merely reading an email does not pose such a threat.

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 format of the opened file. If it was an executable (.exe, .run, etc.) – most likely, yes. However, you might have avoided an infection if it was a document (.doc, .xls, .pdf, .one, etc.), as these formats may require additional actions to initiate malware download/installation chains, such as enabling macro commands, clicking embedded content, etc.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Yes, Combo Cleaner is designed to scan computers and remove all manner of threats. It is capable of eliminating practically all known malware infections. Keep in mind that since high-end malicious programs tend to hide deep within systems – performing a full system scan is crucial.

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