How to avoid falling for scams like "Yellow Tag"
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What kind of email is "Yellow Tag"?
Upon scrutinizing the email, it has come to light that it is a scam designed to deceive unsuspecting recipients into transferring money and potentially divulging personal information. It is imperative to remain vigilant and refrain from engaging in such fraudulent attempts to safeguard your finances and personal data.
More about the "Yellow Tag" scam email
The email, purportedly from Diplomat Mark Wilfred, urgently requests immediate action regarding the delivery of two boxes of consignment worth $9.5 million. It claims to have successfully arrived at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in Texas but is being held back due to the absence of a Yellow Tag required by airport authorities.
The recipient is urged to contact the sender immediately via phone or text at (929) 456-3767 to resolve the issue. Also, the recipient is instructed to provide personal information, including full name, phone number, delivery address, and nearest international airport.
The email assures the recipient that all necessary paperwork is in order and that the sender will accompany them to their bank to deposit the funds securely. Additionally, the sender requests a payment of $100 for the Yellow Tag, which can be sent via iTunes or directly to the Head Office.
The purpose of this scam is to deceive recipients into transferring money or providing personal information under false pretenses, ultimately defrauding them of their funds or compromising their identity for illicit gains. It is important to remain cautious and skeptical of unsolicited emails requesting personal information or financial transactions, especially when they exhibit signs of being fraudulent.
| Name | Yellow Tag Email Scam |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Recipient's consignment boxes with $9.5 million dollars have arrived |
| Disguise | Letter from a diplomat named Mark Wilfred |
| 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 type typically fall under the category of advance fee scams or phishing attempts, where fraudsters use deceptive tactics to trick recipients into providing personal information or making payments under false pretenses. These scams often claim to offer substantial sums of money in exchange for a small upfront payment or the disclosure of sensitive information.
It is also common for fraudulent emails to be used as avenues for delivering malware. Some examples of other scam emails resembling the email described in our article are "Overseas Partner", "Donation To Charity Home", and "Payment Refund Commission (PRC)".
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
The distribution of malware through email involves concealing malicious software within email attachments or on fake websites provided in fraudulent emails. Cybercriminals behind such emails aim to trick users into running malware via their links or files. Upon activation, the malware can infiltrate and compromise the victim's device.
Typical files utilized in malware distribution via email comprise executable files (e.g., .exe), Microsoft Office documents (such as .doc, .xls, .ppt), PDF files, compressed archives (e.g., .zip, .rar), and JavaScript files (.js).
How to avoid installation of malware?
Download software and files solely from trustworthy sources like official websites and app stores. Avoid pirated software and cracking tools, as they often harbor malware. Be careful with email attachments and links, especially if they are from unknown senders or seem suspicious.
Regularly update your operating system, programs, and security tools. Stay alert for suspicious links, pop-ups, or ads, particularly on dubious websites. Use reputable antivirus or anti-malware software and perform regular system scans to have additional defense against malware. 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 "Yellow Tag" email letter:
Subject: CALL ME OR TEXT ME URGENT (929) 456-3767
Attn: TO You,
NOTE: If you received this message in your SPAM/BULK folder, it is because of the restrictions imposed by your Mail/Internet Service Provider, we urge you to treat it genuinely.
I’m Diplomat Mark Wilfred I have been trying to reach you about an hour now just to inform you about my successful arrived Dallas/Fort Worth International airport Texas with your two Boxes of Consignment Box worth $9.5M Nine Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars which I have been instructed by ECOWAS to be delivered to you. The Airport authority demanded for all the legal back up papers to prove to them that the fund is no way related with drug money, I have presented the papers I handed to them and they are very much pleased with the paper's I presented but the only thing that is still keeping me here is the Yellow Tag which is not placed on the boxes, one of the Airport Authority has advise that we get the yellow tag so that I can exit the airport immediately and make my delivery successful. I try to reason with them and they stated the yellow tag will cost us just $100 Dollars only to get the two tag placed on the boxes as that tag will enable deliver today
Please try and reach me with my number (929) 456-3767 TEXT ME OR CALL ME as I can not afford to spend more time here due to other delivery I have to take care of. Here are the papers backing the funds together with my ID CARD as I can accompany you to your bank were you will deposit the fund successfully with these papers. I have all vital paper with me but I can only present you the hard copy when I reach your house as that it's the diplomatic rules, such as authorization to deliver.
Re-confirm to me your information urgent
Full Name...............
Correct phone number ...........
Delivery Address ..............
Your Nearest International Airport.............You can direct the tag fee to our Head Office as they will get the Yellow Tag here for you authority. reply on my E-mail (diplomatmarkwilfred512@gmail.com) GET BACK TO ME WITH THE $100 NOW OR BUY $100 ITUNES CARD SEND ME THE PICTURE NOW
I ADVISE YOU TO BUY ONLY $100 ITUNES CARD SEND ME THE PICTURE AND RECEIVE YOUR PACKAGE FUND OF $9.5M USD TODAY IMMEDIATELY
Regard
DIPLOMAT MARK WILFRED
E-mail (diplomatmarkwilfred512@gmail.com)
CALL OR TEXT ME URGENT +1(929) 456-3767
Zangi messager 10-5935-1118
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Quick menu:
- What is Yellow Tag fraudulent 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?
The scam email you received is part of a scheme orchestrated by cybercriminals aiming to deceive individuals into transferring money and possibly divulging sensitive information. These scams are not personalized and often target a large number of recipients simultaneously.
I have provided my personal information when tricked by this email, what should I do?
Depending on the information provided to scammers, report the scam to relevant authorities or organizations, monitor your online accounts for any suspicious activities, and (or) contact your bank or financial institution.
I have downloaded and opened a file attached to an email, is my computer infected?
If the opened file is executable, malware has likely already infected your system. However, if it is a document like a PDF or Word file, you may have avoided infection. Opening these documents does not always lead to malware infiltrating your system.
I have read the email but did not open the attachment, is my computer infected?
Merely opening an email carries no risk. However, opening links within the email or attached files can result in system infection.
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections that were present in email attachment?
While Combo Cleaner is effective against most known malware, advanced threats can lurk deep within your system. Therefore, conducting a full system scan is crucial for comprehensive detection and removal of any hidden malware.
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