Avoid getting scammed by fake "Bank Confirmation" emails

What kind of email is "Bank Confirmation"?

After investigating the "Bank Confirmation" email, we determined that it is spam. This phishing letter aims to deceive recipients into disclosing their account log-in credentials by using a payment-related lure.

"Bank Confirmation" email scam overview

The spam email with the subject "Payment Confirmation" (may vary) states that the attached file contains a bank confirmation of a payment. It must be stressed that this information is false, and it is not associated with any real individuals or legitimate entities.

The attached HTML document – "Payment Confirmation Copy.html" (filename may vary) – is a phishing file. It requests the user to verify their identity in order to secure their account by signing in with their password.

Due to the interchangeable use of passwords and account linking (e.g., content registered with the same email, etc.) – cyber criminals might be able to steal multiple accounts/platforms by gaining access to just one.

To elaborate on how the unauthorized access can be abused, cyber criminals can steal the identities of social account owners (e.g., emails, social media, social networking, messengers, chats, etc.) and ask the contacts/friends/followers for loans or donations, endorse scams, and even proliferate malware by sharing malicious files/links.

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

To summarize, by trusting an email like "Bank Confirmation" – users can experience severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

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

Threat Summary:

Name	"Bank Confirmation" phishing email
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Email has a bank confirmation of a payment attached to it.
Attachment(s)	Payment Confirmation Copy.html (filename may vary)
Detection Names	Avast (HTML:PhishingMS-ATJ [Phish]), DrWeb (JS.Phishing.356), ESET-NOD32 (HTML/Phishing.Agent.DMB), Kaspersky (Hoax.HTML.Phish.anm), Microsoft (Trojan:HTML/Phish.RDN!MTB), 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.

Phishing spam campaign examples

"Email Account Will Expire", "UnitedHealthcare", "Account(s) Lost IMAP/POP3 Coverage", and "DPD Online Confirmation Must Be Made" are just a few examples of phishing emails we have examined recently.

Data-targeting spam primarily seeks to obtain log-in credentials, personally identifiable information (e.g., ID card details, passport photos/scans, etc.), and finance-related data (e.g., banking account details, credit card numbers, etc.).

It must be mentioned that other scams are also promoted through spam mail. These emails/messages are used to spread malware as well.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Cyber criminals commonly use spam campaigns to proliferate malware. Malicious files can be attached to or linked inside these emails/messages. The files can be documents (e.g., PDF, Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), archives (RAR, ZIP, etc.), JavaScript, and so on.

The malware download/installation chain is initiated once a virulent file is opened. However, 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 embedded files or links.

How to avoid installation of malware?

It is paramount to exercise caution with incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages. We advise against opening attachments or links present in dubious/irrelevant mail, as they can be malicious. We recommend using Microsoft Office versions released after 2010 since their "Protected View" mode prevents automatic macro execution.

It must be mentioned that malware is not distributed exclusively via spam mail. Therefore, we also advise downloading only from official and verified channels. Additionally, all programs must be activated and updated using genuine functions/tools, as illegal activation ("cracking") tools and third-party updates may contain malware.

Another recommendation is to be vigilant while browsing since fraudulent and dangerous online content usually appears legitimate and harmless.

We must stress the importance of having a dependable anti-virus installed and kept up-to-date. Security software must be used to run regular system scans and to remove detected 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 "Bank Confirmation" spam email letter:

Subject: Re: Payment Confirmation

Good afternoon -

Please find attached the bank confirmation showing payment has been made.

Kind Regards
Melanie

Melanie Alexander | Management Accountant | | +44 (0) 1674 900465 | +44 (0) 7808 916214

Screenshot of the phishing file attached to this spam email ("Payment Confirmation Copy.html"):

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Quick menu:

• What is "Bank Confirmation" 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 mass-scale campaigns – 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 disclosed your log-in credentials – change the passwords of all potentially compromised accounts and inform their official support without delay. And if you've provided other private information (e.g., ID card details, passport scans/photos, credit card numbers, etc.) – contact the corresponding authorities without delay.

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

No, opening/reading an email will not initiate malware download/installation processes; devices are infected when malicious attachments or links are opened/clicked.

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

Whether your device was infected depends on the purpose of the opened file (i.e., phishing vs. malware download/installation). It may also be impacted by the file's format. If it was an executable (.exe, .run, etc.) – most likely, yes – the system was compromised.

However, you might have avoided an infection, as some malicious documents (.doc, .xls, .one, .pdf, etc.) may require additional actions to start downloading/installing malware (e.g., enabling macro commands, clicking embedded content, etc.).

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Yes, Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and eliminating most of the known malware infections. It must be mentioned that running a complete system scan is crucial since high-end malicious software typically hides deep within systems.

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