Do not trust fake "PayPal - Important Account Update Required" emails
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What kind of email is "PayPal - Important Account Update Required"?
After reviewing the "PayPal - Important Account Update Required" email, we determined that it is fake. This mail urges recipients to update their account information. The goal is to lure users into disclosing sensitive data to a phishing website. It must be stressed that this email is not associated with the actual PayPal Holdings, Inc.
"PayPal - Important Account Update Required" email scam overview
The spam email with the subject "Update your PayPal account information" (may vary) states that an update is necessary to the recipient's PayPal account data. This process will simply require them to sign into their account, and this will enable continued use of the service.
It must be reiterated that the claims made by this email are false, and this mail is in no way associated with PayPal or any other legitimate services/entities.
The website promoted through this scam email was down at the time of research. Keep in mind that this could be rectified in potential future campaigns of this spam mail (i.e., email will redirect to operational webpages).
It is evident that the endorsed site was intended for phishing – most likely – PayPal account log-in credentials. By stealing online money-transferring accounts like PayPal, scammers can use them to facilitate fraudulent transactions or online purchases.
It is possible that phishing pages pushed by this mail could target personally identifiable or other vulnerable information as well.
To summarize, victims of emails like "PayPal - Important Account Update Required" can experience severe privacy issues and significant financial losses.
If you have already provided your log-in credentials to scammers – change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support without delay. And if you've disclosed other private data like ID card details, credit card numbers, etc. – immediately contact the appropriate authorities.
| Name | "PayPal - Important Account Update Required" phishing email |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Recipient needs to update their PayPal account information to continue using the service. |
| Disguise | PayPal |
| 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
We have investigated thousands of spam emails; "SharePoint Editor", "Authentication Request", and "DocuSign - Completed Document" are merely a couple examples of ones utilized for phishing purposes.
Targeted data primarily includes the log-in credentials of various accounts (e.g., online money transferring, banking, e-commerce, digital wallets, social media, emails, etc.), personally identifiable details, and finance-related information. Various scams are endorsed through deceptive mail, and it is also used to proliferate malware.
Spam emails can be basic and riddled with errors or well-made and even believably disguised as messages from genuine entities (e.g., service providers, companies, institutions, organizations, authorities, etc.).
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Cyber criminals commonly use spam campaigns to distribute malware. These emails/messages can include malicious files as attachments or download links. The files come in various formats, e.g., documents (PDF, Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, etc.), archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), JavaScript, and so forth.
The malware download/installation chain is initiated once an infectious file is opened. Some formats may require additional user interaction to jumpstart these processes. For example, Microsoft Office files need users to enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content), while OneNote documents require them to click embedded links or files.
How to avoid installation of malware?
It is important to always treat incoming emails and other messages with caution. We advise against opening attachments or links present in dubious/irrelevant mail, as they can be virulent.
It must be mentioned that malware is not spread only through spam mail. Therefore, we recommend being vigilant while browsing since fraudulent and malicious online content usually appears genuine and harmless.
Another recommendation is to download only from official and trustworthy sources. Additionally, all programs must be activated and updated using functions/tools provided by legitimate developers, as illegal activation ("cracking") tools and third-party updates may contain malware.
We must emphasize that having a reputable anti-virus installed and kept updated is essential to device and user safety. Security software must be used to run regular system scans and to remove detected threats. 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 "PayPal - Important Account Update Required" spam email letter:
Subject: Update your PayPal account information
Important account update required
Dear customer,
We hope you find this message convenient. To continue using our services, please update your account information.
To update your information, simply log in to your account on our website.
Thank you for your cooperation.
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:
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Quick menu:
- What is "PayPal - Important Account Update Required" 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, even if they include details relevant to the recipients. These messages 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 disclosed your log-in credentials – immediately change the passwords of all possibly 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.) – contact the appropriate authorities without delay.
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; merely reading an email is harmless.
I have downloaded and opened a file attached to a spam email, is my computer infected?
If the opened file was an executable (.exe, .run, etc.) – most likely, yes – the system was compromised. However, you might have avoided an infection if it was a document (.doc, .xls, .pdf, .one, etc.). Formats of this kind may require additional actions to begin 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 designed to scan computers and eliminate all manner of threats. It can detect and remove most of the known malware infections. Note that since sophisticated malicious programs usually hide deep within systems – running a complete system scan is crucial.
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