How to identify fraudulent emails like "Santander Bank Deal"
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is "Santander Bank Deal" email scam?
Our analysis of the email has led us to conclude that it is a scam commonly referred to as an advance-fee scam. Typically, scammers behind such schemes aim to trick unsuspecting recipients into transferring their money. They may also ask for personal information. Thus, recipients should not respond to such emails.
More about the "Santander Bank Deal" scam email
This is a scam email impersonating Mr. Angel Santodomingo from Santander Bank UK. The sender claims to have $85 million and offers to transfer it to the recipient's account, promising it is risk-free and legal. They propose splitting the money (50/50) if the recipient helps.
It is also mentioned that the money does not originate from drugs, money laundering, or other illegal activities. However, responding to the email could lead to the sender (scammer) requesting personal information like credit card details, ID card information, or money upfront, resulting in financial loss, identity theft, or other issues for the recipient.
Thus, it is advisable to ignore and delete such emails. It is also recommended to report such emails to the appropriate authorities to help prevent others from falling victim to these scams.
| Name | Santander Bank Deal Email Scam |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | The recipient can receive millions of dollars for helping the sender. |
| Disguise | Letter from CFO & Executive Director of Santander Bank. |
| Symptoms | Unsolicited communication, too good to be true offers, request for money or personal information. |
| Distribution methods | Deceptive emails |
| 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
Advance-fee scams can involve different scenarios, but they all share the common component of enticing potential victims with the promise of a large sum of money in exchange for a payment (e.g., "administration" fee) or personal information. Usually, these scams are delivered via email. It is essential for individuals to remain vigilant and skeptical of any unsolicited offers that seem too good to be true.
Examples of similar scams are "Claim Sum Release", "IMF Grant Program", and "Giveaway Of Lottery Winnings Email Scam". It is important to be aware that threat actors often use email as a tool to trick recipients into infecting computers.
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Usually, threat actors distribute malware through email by attaching malicious files (such as executable files, MS Office documents, PDFs, or archives) or including links in their messages. Malware infects computers when users open these malicious files, sometimes requiring additional actions like enabling macro commands in infected documents.
Malware can also be activated by files downloaded from websites accessed through links in emails. Moreover, links received via email may direct users to websites designed to download malware on their computers automatically.
How to avoid installation of malware?
Exercise caution with emails that contain links or attachments (refrain from opening irrelevant emails from unfamiliar senders). Avoid interacting with ads, buttons, pop-ups, etc., on websites that seem suspicious. Obtain apps and files exclusively from official websites and app stores.
Ensure your operating system, software, and security tools are regularly updated. Also, scan your computer for unwanted apps, malware, and other threats on a regular basis. Finally, never use pirated software or tools that are supposed to bypass software activation. 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 "Santander Bank Deal" email letter:
Subject: Hello Dear !!
Hello Dear !!Please are you still using this your email address? My Name is Mr. Angel Santodomingo, the CFO & Executive Director, of Santander Bank UK, Plc, There is a deal worth of the sum of $85,000,000.00.USD.(EIGHTY FIVE MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS ONLY). presently in our bank now. I am proposing to Make this transfer to any preferable account of yours, be informed that this transaction is 100% total risk free and trouble free as the fund is legitimate, and does not originate from drug, money laundering, terrorism or any other illegal act.
When we are through with the transaction, for your help and assistance, our sharing rates shall be 50% for me while 50% for you. Kindly reply to me explaining your tension, so that i will feed you with more details, if you are Interested to do business with me, respond to my private email: (angel.santodomingo2024@hotmail.com) for more details. The business is hundred percent pure and genuine.
I await your response.
Yours Sincerely,
Mr. Angel Santodomingo
CFO & Executive Director
Santander Bank UK Plc,
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Quick menu:
- What is Santander Bank Deal advance-fee scam?
- 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?
Scammers send the same letter to lots of people, hoping someone will fall for it. These emails usually are not personalized.
I have provided my personal information when tricked by this email, what should I do?
If you have given out any account details, change all your passwords immediately. If you have shared other personal info, like credit card or ID details, contact the authorities right away.
I have downloaded and opened a malicious file attached to an email, is my computer infected?
The type of file you open determines how likely your computer is to get infected. Executable files like .exe pose a high risk of malware infection when opened, while document files have a lower risk of infection.
I have sent cryptocurrency to the address presented in such email, can I get my money back?
Tracking these transactions is extremely difficult, making it unlikely that you will be able to recover your cryptocurrency.
I have read the email but did not open the attachment, is my computer infected?
Cybercriminals cannot infiltrate malware unless recipients open malicious attachments or links. Thus, leaving the contents of malicious emails unopened ensures that a computer is not infected.
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections that were present in email attachment?
Combo Cleaner can effectively find and remove malware. It is able to detect almost all known malware infections. Because some advanced malware can hide deep in your system, doing a full scan is important to find and remove it.
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