How to identify phishing emails the fake "Shipping Receipt"

What is "Shipping Receipt"?

We have reviewed the email and determined that it is a scam email featuring a fake shipping receipt. Crafted by scammers, this deceptive email aims to deceive recipients into divulging personal information or falling victim to financial fraud. This type of email is commonly known as a phishing scam.

More about the "Shipping Receipt" scam email

The scam in this email revolves around a fake shipping receipt for a non-existent order. The email claims that an order has been successfully placed for a Martin Furniture Farmhouse Wood Half-Pedestal Writing Desk, with a total cost of $910.00. It provides a receipt ID and a helpline number for any inquiries.

This scam's goal is likely to trick the recipient into providing personal information or prompt them to contact the provided helpline number. Once the recipient engages with the scam, they may be directed to the provided helpline number, where a fraudster posing as a customer service representative will attempt to extract personal information under the guise of resolving the purported order issue.

This could include personally identifiable information (PII) such as full name, address, date of birth, social security number, or financial information like credit card numbers or bank account details. Scammers use this information for various malicious purposes, including identity theft, financial fraud, or unauthorized access to accounts.

Alternatively, the recipient may be encouraged to visit a fake website or click on links within the email, leading to further attempts to steal sensitive information or initiate unauthorized transactions. It is essential for recipients to recognize the email as fraudulent and avoid engaging with it to prevent potential financial loss or identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	Shipping Receipt Email Scam
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	An order has been successfully placed
Fake Support Number	+1 866 992 6760
Disguise	Shipping receipt
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.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the scam involving the fake shipping receipt is a deceptive tactic used by cybercriminals to exploit individuals' trust and induce them into revealing personal information or making payments. To protect themselves against such scams, individuals must remain vigilant, scrutinize unexpected emails carefully, and refrain from engaging with suspicious communications.

Examples of similar scams are "NORTON 360 Deluxe Purchase Invoice", "HSBC Transfer Request", and "Notification Concerning Your Netflix Account". It is important to be aware that emails of this kind can be utilized to deliver malware.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Malware is commonly distributed through email attachments, which may include executable files (such as .exe), Microsoft Office documents (such as .docx, .xlsx), PDF files, JavaScript files (such as .js), and compressed archives (such as .zip). When users unwittingly open or execute these attachments, they can inadvertently trigger the injection of malware into their systems.

Links in emails can also lead to computer infections. For instance, recipients may click links designed to open malicious websites. Once on these pages, users may encounter drive-by downloads or requests to download malicious files disguised as legitimate/harmless files (e.g., documents).

How to avoid installation of malware?

Exercise caution when interacting with attachments or clicking on links in emails, particularly those that appear unsolicited or irrelevant, especially if they originate from unfamiliar or questionable sources. Keep your operating system, applications, and security tools up to date to mitigate potential vulnerabilities.

Download apps and files from reputable sources such as official websites and trusted app stores. Avoid engaging with pop-ups, advertisements, or buttons on suspicious websites, and refrain from downloading pirated software or using cracking tools. Additionally, conduct regular scans of your computer to detect and remove any potential threats lurking within your system.

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 "Shipping Receipt" email letter:

Payment Receipt

SHIPPING RECEIPT

Thursday, April 18th 2024

Receipt ID: PX0XFSJB
Address: -

Dear -
Thank you for your order. Order # PX0XFSJB is placed successfully and ready to ship. Our delivery team will contact you soon. Please keep this email as reference.

ORDER DETAILS
Product: Martin Furniture Farmhouse Wood Half-Pedestal Writing, Open L-Shaped Table, Office Return, Blue Desk
Rate: $910.00
Quantity: 1
TOTAL: $910.00

HELP AND SUPPORT?
Thank you for doing business with us.
In case of any query please reach out to us at our helpline no. given below.
+1 866 992 6760

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Quick menu:

• What is Shipping Receipt 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?

Most scammers send massive quantities of emails without discrimination, aiming to target as many potential victims as they can. They acquire email addresses through various means, including data breaches and purchasing email lists on the dark web.

I have provided my personal information when tricked by this email, what should I do?

Contact your bank to report any unauthorized transactions, if detected. Additionally, update the passwords for your online accounts that may have been compromised, monitor your credit report for any suspicious activity, and contemplate informing the appropriate authorities.

I have downloaded and opened a malicious file attached to an email, is my computer infected?

The likelihood of your computer becoming infected varies depending on the type of file you interact with. Malware-infected executable files (.exe) or script files (.js, .vbs) pose a significant risk when executed. Conversely, document or multimedia files generally pose a lower risk of infection.

I have sent cryptocurrency to the address presented in such email, can I get my money back?

Once completed, these transactions are essentially untraceable, rendering retrieval virtually impossible.

I have read the email but did not open the attachment, is my computer infected?

Merely opening an email poses minimal risk. However, engaging with links or opening attachments within the email can lead to system infections.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections that were present in email attachment?

Combo Cleaner can find and eliminate almost all known malware infections. Given that advanced malware can intricately embed itself within the system, it is crucial to perform a comprehensive system scan to ensure the detection and removal of any concealed threats.

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