Do not trust fake "WeTransfer - You Have Received Files" emails

What kind of email is "WeTransfer - You Have Received Files"?

Upon inspection, we determined that the "WeTransfer - You Have Received Files" email is spam. This phishing letter targets email account log-in credentials by claiming that the recipient was sent a file via a legitimate file transfer service.

It must be emphasized that this scam mail is not associated with WeTransfer or any other genuine service providers or entities.

"WeTransfer - You Have Received Files" email scam overview

The spam email with the subject "Your contact sent you files via WeTransfer 4/3/2024 7:12:45 a.m." (may vary) notifies that the recipient has been sent a 27.4 KB size file via WeTransfer. This letter lists the deletion date for the file.

The email also includes a message from the supposed sender, which implies a previous conversation and agreement with the recipient. In accordance with the supposed discussion, the recipient was sent a presentation for clients.

As mentioned in the introduction, all this information is false, and this mail is in no way associated with the WeTransfer file transfer service or any other legitimate entities.

After the "Get your files" button is clicked, it results in a redirect to a phishing website. It is presented as an email sign-in webpage, and it records provided log-in credentials (i.e., passwords). The theft of an email can pose greater risks, as cyber criminals might also gain access to the accounts and platforms registered through it.

The unauthorized access can be variously misused; to elaborate some – scammers can steal the identities of account owners. These hijacked accounts (e.g., emails, social media, messengers, chats, etc.) can be used to ask the contacts/friends/followers for loans or donations, endorse scams, and spread malware by sharing malicious files/links – under the guise of the real owner.

Furthermore, sensitive/confidential content discovered on compromised data storage or similar platforms can be used for blackmail or other nefarious purposes. What is more, finance-related accounts (e.g., online banking, e-commerce, digital wallets, etc.) can be used to facilitate fraudulent transactions and online purchases.

To summarize, victims of scam emails like "WeTransfer - You Have Received Files" can experience severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

If you have already typed your log-in credentials into a phishing webpage – change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support without delay.

Threat Summary:

Name	"WeTransfer - You Have Received Files" phishing email
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Recipient was sent a file via a file transferring service.
Disguise	WeTransfer
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

"SharePoint Invoice", "Yellow Tag", "ShareFile - Advance Payment Approval", and "PayPal - Important Account Update Required" are merely some examples of phishing emails we have investigated recently.

These letters most commonly target the log-in credentials of various accounts, personally identifiable information, and finance-related data. However, spam mail is used to promote other scams as well. It is also utilized in malware distribution.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Spam emails/messages can include virulent files as attachments or download links. These files can be documents (PDF, Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, etc.), archives (RAR, ZIP, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), JavaScript, and so on. Once a malicious file is opened – the malware download/installation chain is initiated.

However, some formats can require additional actions 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 on embedded files or links.

How to avoid installation of malware?

We highly recommend caution with incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages. Attachments or links present in suspicious/irrelevant mail must not be opened, as they can be harmful/malicious. It must be mentioned that malware is not spread only through spam mail.

Therefore, we advise vigilance when browsing, as fraudulent and dangerous online content usually appears genuine and innocuous.

Additionally, all downloads must be made from official and trustworthy channels. Another recommendation is to activate and update software using functions/tools provided by legitimate developers, as illegal activation ("cracking") tools and third-party updates may contain malware.

It is paramount to have a reputable anti-virus installed and kept up-to-date. Security programs must be used to perform regular system scans and to remove threats and 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 "WeTransfer - You Have Received Files" spam email letter:

Subject: Your contact sent you files via WeTransfer 4/3/2024 7:12:45 a.m.

-
You have received a files via your contacts sent you
1 item, 27.4 KB in total Will be deleted on 04 April, 2024

Dear -,

In reference to our discussion and agreement, please find the below link presentation of table tops for clients, Kindly let us know if you require any further information.

Get your files

Download link

 

To make sure our emails arrive, please add noreply@wetransfer.com to your contacts.
About WeTransfer Help Legal Report this transfer as spam

Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by the "WeTransfer - You Have Received Files" spam campaign:

Another example of an email from "WeTransfer - You Have Received Files" spam campaign:

Text presented within:

Subject: - You have received a new order file via WeTransfer

-

You have recieved some new Order enquiry files  via WeTransfer  
3 items, 12 MB in total will be deleted on  5th August, 2024

Get your files

3 files
Product Specification.pdf
samples #61521053. pdf
Company_Profile.pdf

To make sure our emails arrive, please add    noreply@wetransfer.com  t o  your contacts.

Screenshot of the promoted phishing site:

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▼ 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 "WeTransfer - You Have Received Files" 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?

Regardless of whether they include relevant details, spam emails are not personal. Cyber criminals send these messages out 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 – immediately change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support. And if you've disclosed other private data (e.g., ID card details, passport photos/scans, credit card numbers, etc.) – contact the corresponding authorities without delay.

I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?

No, merely reading an email poses no infection thread. 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 the system was infected might depend on the format of the opened file. If it was an executable (.exe, .run, etc.) – most likely, yes – an infection chain was triggered. However, you might have avoided this if it was a document (.doc, .xls, .one, .pdf, etc.). These formats may need extra user interaction (e.g., enabling macro commands, clicking embedded content, etc.) to begin malware download/installation processes.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can scan systems and eliminate most of the known malware infections. Keep in mind that performing a full system scan is crucial since sophisticated malicious software typically hides deep within systems.

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