Avoid losing your account via fake "Microsoft Password System Reminder" email

What kind of email is "Microsoft Password System Reminder"?

After investigating the "Microsoft Password System Reminder" email, we determined that it is spam promoting a phishing scam. This bogus letter notifies of potential log-in issues, and preventing them will result in the recipient having to disclose their account password.

"Microsoft Password System Reminder" email scam overview

The spam email with the subject "SETTINGS_EXPIRE_FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 2024" is presented as a notification from Microsoft. This fake letter claims to be a "Password System Reminder". The password is set to expire at a certain date, past which log-in interruptions will occur. The recipient is instructed to click the "Keep My Access Active" button to retain password validity.

It must be stressed that all the claims made by the email are false, and this mail is not associated with Microsoft or any other legitimate entities.

At the time of research, the site promoted by this spam letter was down (i.e., non-functional). Based on our experience, it is likely to have been a phishing website targeting log-in credentials. Note that this could be rectified in potential future campaigns involving this spam mail, i.e., the emails will redirect to functional pages.

Typically, fake messages of this kind promote phishing sites disguised as email sign-in pages. Information provided to these pages is recorded and sent to scammers. The risk exceeds the loss of an email, as said accounts are usually used to register other content – hence, cyber criminals may be able to gain access to it as well.

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

Furthermore, any confidential/sensitive content discovered on compromised data storage or similar platforms could be used for blackmail or other nefarious purposes. What is more, hijacked finance-related accounts (e.g., online banking, e-commerce, digital wallets, etc.) can be used to make fraudulent transactions or online purchases.

To summarize, victims of scam mail like "Microsoft Password System Reminder" can experience severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

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

Threat Summary:

Name	"Microsoft Password System Reminder" phishing email
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Password is set to expire and actions must be taken to retain its validity.
Disguise	Microsoft
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

We have examined countless spam emails; "Official Invoice", "New Purchasing Document", "Your iCloud Photos And Videos Will Be Deleted", and "Mailbox Password Security Update" are merely a few examples of ones used for phishing.

Various scams are facilitated through spam mail, including sextortion, tech support, refund, lottery, inheritance, etc. Additionally, deceptive emails are used to distribute malware. Spam mail can be plain and full of errors or elaborately disguised as messages from legitimate companies, institutions, service providers, authorities, and other entities.

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

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Spam campaigns are commonly utilized in malware distribution. The email/messages can include virulent files as attachments or download links. These files can be documents (PDF, Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), archives (RAR, ZIP, etc.), JavaScript, and so on.

Upon opening, an infectious file triggers the malware download/installation chain. Some formats can require additional actions to jumpstart system infection processes. For example, Microsoft Office files need users to enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content), while OneNote documents need them to click embedded files or links.

How to avoid installation of malware?

We highly recommend treating incoming emails and other messages with care. Attachments or links found in suspicious/irrelevant mail must not be opened, as they can be malicious. Another recommendation is to use Microsoft Office versions released after 2010 since they have the "Protected View" mode that prevents automatic macro execution.

It must be stressed that malware is not proliferated exclusively via spam mail. Therefore, we also advise being vigilant while browsing since fraudulent and dangerous online content usually appears legitimate and innocuous.

Additionally, all downloads must be performed from official and trustworthy sources. It is important to activate and update programs using genuine functions/tools, as illegal activation tools ("cracks") and third-party updaters may contain malware.

We must emphasize that having a reputable anti-virus installed and kept updated is paramount to device/user safety. Security software must be used to run regular system scans and to remove 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 "Microsoft Password System Reminder" spam email letter:

Subject: SETTINGS_EXPIRE_FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 2024

Microsoft

Password System Reminder

The Password for ******** is set to expire Today, Friday, January 12, 2024. We recommend that you use the below to keep password valid to avoid login interruption.

Keep My Access Active

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Quick menu:

• What is "Microsoft Password System Reminder" 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. They are distributed in massive operations – hence, thousands of users receive identical messages.

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

If you have provided your account credentials – change the passwords of all potentially exposed accounts and inform their official support without delay. And if you've disclosed other private data (e.g., ID card details, credit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact the corresponding authorities.

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

Devices are infected when malicious attachments or links are opened/clicked; merely reading an email poses no such threat.

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

Whether the system was compromised may depend on the format of the opened file. If the attachment was an executable (.exe, .run, etc.) – it most likely was, as executables cause infections almost without fail. However, you might have avoided it if it was a document (.doc, .xls, .pdf, .one, etc.). These formats may require additional interaction (e.g., enabling macro commands, clicking embedded files/links, etc.) to begin downloading/installing malware.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and eliminate nearly all known malware infections. Note that since sophisticated malicious programs tend to hide deep within systems – running a complete system scan is essential.

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