Avoid getting scammed by fake "DHL Global Express Shipping" emails
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What kind of email is "DHL Global Express Shipping"?
After examining the "DHL Global Express Shipping" email, we determined that it is fake. This spam letter is disguised as a notification from the DHL logistics and delivery company. However, by attempting to review the attached shipping documentation – the recipient is redirected to a phishing website.
"DHL Global Express Shipping" email scam overview
This spam email claims to include original shipping documents for a shipment awaiting delivery. The recipient is requested to review and verify the delivery address. It must be emphasized that the information in this letter is false, and this mail is not associated with the actual DHL company or any other legitimate entities.
At the time of research, the phishing website promoted by this email was down. It must be mentioned that this could be rectified in potential future releases of this spam mail, i.e., the email could redirect to a functional page. Scams of this kind primarily target email log-in credentials, personally identifiable details, and finance-related data.
The phishing site promoted by this letter could be presented as an email account sign-in page, DHL registration/payment form, or something else.
Email accounts are of particular interest to scammers, as they are used to register other content – hence, it could be stolen as well. To expand some upon the potential misuse, cyber criminals can steal the identities of social account owners (e.g., emails, social networking/media, messengers, etc.) and as the contacts/friends for loans or donations, promote scams, and proliferate malware.
Hijacked finance-related accounts (e.g., online banking, money transferring, e-commerce, digital wallets, etc.) can be used to facilitate fraudulent transactions and online purchases.
To summarize, by trusting an email like "DHL Global Express Shipping" – users can experience severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.
If you have entered your log-in credentials into a phishing website – change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support. And if you have provided other private data (e.g., ID card details, passport photos/scans, credit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact the appropriate authorities.
| Name | "DHL Global Express Shipping" phishing email |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Recipient is requested to check and verify their delivery address. |
| Disguise | DHL |
| 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
"Publishers Clearing House", "Asian Welfare Lottery", "Payment Order", and "WeTransfer - Order Specifications" are just a few examples of phishing emails we have investigated recently.
Spam campaigns are used to promote various scams and spread malware. While these emails are infamous for being riddled with errors, they may be competently crafted and even disguised as messages from legitimate companies, service providers, organizations, authorities, and other entities.
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Cyber criminals commonly use spam mail to proliferate malware. Virulent files can be attached to or linked inside these emails/messages. The files come in various formats, e.g., archives (RAR, ZIP, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), documents (Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, PDF, etc.), JavaScript, and so on.
Upon being opened, a malicious file initiates the infection chain. Some formats may require additional actions to jumpstart malware download/installation 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 files or links.
How to avoid installation of malware?
We strongly recommend being careful with incoming emails and other messages. Attachments or links found in suspect mail must not be opened, as they can be infectious. Another recommendation is to use post-2010 Microsoft Office versions since they have the "Protected View" mode that prevents automatic macro execution.
It must be mentioned that malware is not proliferated exclusively via spam mail. Therefore, we also advise being careful while browsing since fake and malicious online content usually appears legitimate and harmless.
Furthermore, all downloads must be made from official and trustworthy sources. It is just as important to activate and update software using genuine functions/tools, as illegal activation tools ("cracks") and third-party updaters can contain malware.
We must emphasize that having a reputable anti-virus installed and kept up-to-date is essential to device integrity and user safety. Security programs 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 "DHL Global Express Shipping" spam email letter:
Subject: Shipment on Hold Notification for ******** // Original Shipping Documents attached for ******** Cargo Release BL/PL/CI NO#83636XXX
Shipment Hold Notice - Original Shipping Documents attached
DHL Global Express Shipping
Dear Customer ********,
Please find attached the original shipping documents for your pending shipment awating to be delivered, kindly check and verify the delivery address.
VIEW | DOWNLOAD
Original_Shipping_Scan
We will keep sending you updates till the shipment reaches it's Final destination
Sincerely,
DHL Global Express Shipping
DHL Paket Gmb
© 2024 DHL Express
Please do not reply to this email; It is used to send automated emails that are not monitored by responses.
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Quick menu:
- What is "DHL Global Express Shipping" 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 large-scale campaigns – therefore, 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 log-in credentials – change the passwords of all potentially compromised accounts and inform their official support without delay. However, if you have disclosed other private data (e.g., ID card details, 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, merely opening/reading an email is harmless. Devices are infected when malicious attachments or links are opened.
I have downloaded and opened a file attached to a spam email, is my computer infected?
If it was an executable (.exe, .run, etc.) – most likely, yes – as these files cause infections almost without fail. However, you might have avoided this if it was a document (.doc, .xls, .one, .pdf, etc.). These formats may require extra actions to start downloading/installing malware (e.g., clicking embedded content, enabling macro commands, etc.).
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?
Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and eliminate most of the known malware infections. Keep in mind that running a complete system scan is essential since sophisticated malicious software typically hides deep within systems.
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