How to spot fake emails like "Incoming Mails Suspended"
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What is "Incoming Mails Suspended"?
We have examined the email and discovered that it is a fraudulent email masquerading as a notification from an email service provider. The perpetrators of this scam aim to entice recipients into disclosing sensitive information on a counterfeit login page. Such emails are commonly referred to as phishing emails.
More about the "Incoming Mails Suspended" scam email
The subject line of the phishing email attempts to create a sense of urgency by claiming that there are 12 unreceived emails requiring immediate action. It alleges that incoming emails to the recipient's email address have been suspended due to delivery failures. The email then falsely states that there are 55 undelivered emails with a specific timestamp to lend credibility to the claim.
It includes a link prompting the recipient to "Read Undelivered Emails", leading to a fake Gmail login website designed to steal login credentials (email address and password). When scammers steal email account login credentials, they typically exploit this information for various malicious purposes.
They may use the compromised email account to send out spam emails containing phishing links or attachments to propagate their scams further. Additionally, scammers might comb through the victim's inbox for sensitive information such as financial data, personal details, or login credentials for other accounts, which can be used for identity theft or other fraudulent activities.
Furthermore, access to the victim's email account allows scammers to reset passwords and gain control over other online accounts linked to the email address, exacerbating the extent of the damage. Also, scammers may attempt to access other accounts associated with the same credentials. This can lead to further breaches of privacy.
| Name | Incoming Mails Suspended Email Scam |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Incoming emails to the recipient's email address have been suspended |
| Disguise | Notification from an email service provider |
| 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. |
Similar scam emails in general
Emails of this kind often share common characteristics such as urgent language, threats of consequences for inaction, requests for personal information or financial transactions, and impersonation of reputable organizations or individuals. Scammers typically target sensitive information such as login credentials and financial details.
Sometimes, such emails can include malicious links or attachments intended to lure recipients into infecting their computers. Examples of similar emails are "Webmail - Low Storage Space", "Voicemail Transcript", and "You Have Shared Files On OneDrive".
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
When threat actors use emails as tools for malware distribution, they send deceitful messages to lure recipients into interacting with harmful links or attachments. Once a user engages with these, it can trigger the activation of malware, such as ransomware or spyware, on their computer.
These harmful payloads can be hidden within various file types, including executables, Microsoft Office documents, PDF files, ISO files, JavaScript files, compressed archives (like ZIP and RAR), etc.
How to avoid installation of malware?
Exercise caution when handling email attachments or clicking on links, especially if the sender's identity is unfamiliar or if the email seems suspicious. Keep the operating system, antivirus software, and other installed programs up to date. Never download pirated software.
When downloading applications, ensure they are from reputable sources like official websites or trusted app stores. Practice safe browsing by refraining from visiting suspicious websites and being cautious when clicking on ads, pop-ups, or links from unknown sources. 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 "Incoming Mails Suspended" email letter:
Subject: [ACTION REQUIRED]: ***Process Incomplete, You Have 12 Unreceived Emails***
Incoming Mails Suspended in Mail Server
You're recieving this email because some of your incoming messages in ***** has failed to be delivered.
You have {55} undelivered mail Time : 2/19/2024 12:47:20 a.m.
This is due to a system delay in your mail server.Read Undelivered Emails
Screenhsot of the phishing page used in this phishing campaign:
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Quick menu:
- What is Incoming Mails Suspended 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?
You received a phishing email because scammers send mass emails hoping someone will fall for their scam. These emails are rarely personalized and are typically sent to a large number of recipients indiscriminately.
I have provided my personal information when tricked by this email, what should I do?
If you have provided your login credentials after being tricked by a phishing email, immediately change your email account password and enable two-factor authentication if available. Then, monitor your account for suspicious activity and consider notifying your email service provider for further assistance.
I have downloaded and opened a malicious file attached to an email, is my computer infected?
If you have downloaded and opened a malicious file attached to an email, whether your computer is infected depends on the file type and the specific payload it carries. Executable files (.exe) are more likely to contain malware that could infect your computer upon opening. However, file types such as documents (.doc, .pdf) may require additional action, such as enabling macros or executing scripts, before malware can infiltrate your system.
I have read the email but did not open the attachment, is my computer infected?
Merely opening an email poses no threat. However, engaging with links within the email or opening attached files can lead to system infections.
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections that were present in email attachment?
Combo Cleaner can detect and eliminate almost all known malware infections. However, sophisticated malware often hides deep within the system. Therefore, performing a full system scan is essential.
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