Avoid getting scammed by fake "RAM Hand-to-Hand Couriers" email

What kind of email is "RAM Hand-to-Hand Couriers"?

After reading through the "RAM Hand-to-Hand Couriers" email, we determined that it is fake. This mail promotes a phishing website by claiming that the recipient's shipment is subject to customs duties.

It must be stressed that all these claims are false, and this email is not associated with the real RAM Hand-to-Hand Couriers company.

"RAM Hand-to-Hand Couriers" email scam overview

The spam email with the subject "Client #RL71097064" (may vary) states that the recipient's shipment includes items that are subject to customs duties. Hence, the recipient must pay these taxes before the package can be sent to them. The letter also lists details of the shipment and the estimated delivery date.

As mentioned in the introduction, this mail is fake and in no way associated with the actual RAM Hand-to-Hand Couriers company.

After the "Sеոd My Pаϲkagе..." button is pressed, it results in a redirect. At the time of research, the website this email redirected to was down. Remember that this could be fixed in potential future releases of this campaign (i.e., emails would redirect to an operational site).

In most cases, websites promoted through spam mail target log-in credentials. Emails are of particular interest to scammers, as they may serve as a gateway to the accounts and platforms registered through them.

To elaborate on the potential misuse, cyber criminals may steal the identities of social account owners (e.g., emails, social media/networking, messengers, etc.) and ask the contacts/friends/followers for loans or donations, promote scams, and proliferate malware.

Stolen finance-related accounts (e.g., online banking, e-commerce, digital wallets, etc.) can be used to make fraudulent transactions or online purchases.

However, instead of sign-in pages, phishing sites can be disguised as registration or other forms (e.g., for providing shipping or payment details). These webpages target personally identifiable or finance-related information, such as names, addresses, contact details, debit/credit card numbers, etc.

To summarize, by trusting mail like this "RAM Hand-to-Hand Couriers" email – users can experience severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

If you have disclosed your log-in credentials – change the passwords of all potentially exposed accounts and inform their official support. However, if the provided information was of a different personal nature (e.g., ID card details, passport scans/photos, credit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact the corresponding authorities.

Threat Summary:

Name	"RAM Hand-to-Hand Couriers" phishing email
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Recipient's shipment has items subject to customs duties (taxes).
Disguise	RAM Hand-to-Hand Couriers
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

"Discover Card Payment On Hold", "ShareFile - Invoice Copy", "Email Failed To Sync", and "Account Shutdown Notification" are a few examples of phishing emails we have investigated recently.

It must be mentioned that various scams are promoted through spam mail, and it is also used to spread malware. While infamous for being riddled with various grammatical and spelling errors, these emails may also be competently crafted and even believably disguised as messages from legitimate companies, service providers, organizations, authorities, and other entities.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Spam campaigns are widely used in malware distribution. These emails/messages can have malicious files attached to or linked inside them. The files can be documents (Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, PDF, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), archives (RAR, ZIP, etc.), JavaScript, and so forth.

The malware download/installation process is triggered when an infectious file is opened. Some formats need extra actions to jumpstart system infection chains. For example, Microsoft Office files require users to enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content), while OneNote documents need them to click on embedded links/files.

How to avoid installation of malware?

It is essential to treat incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages with caution. Do not open attachments or links found in suspicious/irrelevant mail, as they can be virulent.

It is noteworthy that malware is not proliferated exclusively via spam mail. Therefore, be vigilant when browsing since fraudulent and malicious online content typically appears genuine and harmless.

Additionally, download only from official and verified channels. Another recommendation is to activate and update software using legitimate functions/tools, as illegal activation ("cracking") tools and third-party updates may contain malware.

It is paramount for device integrity and user safety to have a reputable anti-virus installed and kept updated. Security programs must be used to perform 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 "RAM Hand-to-Hand Couriers" spam email letter:

Subject: RE: Client #RL71097064

Dear customer,

We would like to inform you that your shipment sent through ram contains items that are subject to customs duties.

information and fees which must be paid before you can receive your shipment:

Dеlіvеrу орtіоn: Rаm Ехрrеѕѕ Еаѕу
Тоtаl wеіght: 0.856 kg
Dесlаrеd vаluе: R16.13

Sеոd My Pаϲkagе...

Estimated delivery date: by March 25, 2024

We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter and look forward to delivering your shipment upon the clearance of these duties.

Much obliged to you.

Instant automatic malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. 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.

Quick menu:

• What is "RAM Hand-to-Hand Couriers" 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 campaigns are not personal, even if they include relevant details. This mail is distributed in massive operations – therefore, thousands of users receive identical or incredibly similar emails.

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 or possibly compromised accounts and inform their official support without delay. And if you have disclosed other private data (e.g., ID card details, passport photos/scans, 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, reading an email poses no infection threat. Devices are compromised 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 might rely on the format of the opened file. If it was an executable (.exe, .run, etc.) – most likely, yes – the system was infected. However, you might have avoided this if it was a document (.doc, .xls, .one, .pdf, etc.). These formats may require additional user interaction to jumpstart malware download/installation processes (e.g., enabling macro commands, clicking embedded content, etc.).

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and eliminate practically all known malware infections. It must be stressed that performing a complete system scan is paramount since high-end malicious software typically hides deep within systems.

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