Avoid getting scammed by fake "New Investor" email
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What kind of email is "New Investor"?
After reading the "New Investor" email, we determined that it is spam. This letter is presented as an investment and joint venture proposal.
It must be stressed that all the information this email provides is false, and this mail is not associated with any real public figures or legitimate entities.
"New Investor" email scam overview
The spam email with the subject "-{Sevices}-" (may vary) namedrops several public figures and meanders through a business proposal. Supposedly, the recipient is offered a joint venture that will fund their project.
As indicated in the introduction, all the claims made by this letter are false. It must be reiterated that this email is not linked to any persons of note or other genuine entities.
This spam lures recipients into communicating with scammers. How the scam itself progresses can vary greatly. Phishing is one of the potential ways; in other words, this scheme may target sensitive information.
Data of interest can include log-in credentials of various accounts (e.g., emails, social networking, e-commerce, money transferring, online banking, digital wallets, etc.), personally identifiable details (e.g., ID card or passport scans/photos, etc.), and finance-related information.
Tricking victims into sending money to scammers is another possible goal. Difficult-to-trace methods like cryptocurrencies, pre-paid vouchers, gift cards, cash hidden in packages and shipped, etc. – are typically used to obtain funds.
It is noteworthy that throughout the scam, cyber criminals continue the pretense established in the email (e.g., pretend to be investors, businessmen, bank officials, tech support, etc.). For example, victims may be deceived into transferring funds to scammers under the guise of paying taxes or fees.
To summarize, victims of scam mail like "New Investor" can experience severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.
If you have already provided your log-in credentials to scammers or entered them into a phishing website – change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support without delay. And if you have disclosed personally identifiable or finance-related data – immediately contact the corresponding authorities.
| Name | "New Investor" spam email |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Recipient is presented with a business proposal. |
| 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. |
Spam campaigns in general
"Quote For The Attached Products", "British American Tobacco Company Promotion", "Santander Bank Deal", "Urgent Requirement For The Supply", "Salary Increase", and "Internet Is A Dangerous Place" are merely some examples of our latest articles on spam mail.
These emails are used to facilitate various scams like phishing, sextortion, tech support, refund, lottery, inheritance, etc. Spam is also employed in malware proliferation.
While these messages are often plain and full of mistakes, they can also be well-made and even competently disguised as emails from legitimate companies, institutions, organizations, authorities, and other entities.
Due to how prevalent spam mail is and how believable it can be – we highly recommend caution with incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages.
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Spam campaigns are widely used in malware distribution. Deceptive emails/messages can include virulent files as attachments or download links. These files come in various formats, e.g., documents (PDF, Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, etc.), archives (RAR, ZIP, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), JavaScript, and so on.
Merely opening a malicious file can be enough to initiate the malware download/installation chain. Some formats need additional user interaction to jumpstart these processes. For example, Microsoft Office files require users to enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content), while OneNote documents need them to click on embedded links/files.
How to avoid installation of malware?
It is paramount to treat incoming emails/messages with caution. Do not open attachments or links found in suspect/irrelevant mail, as they can be harmful/infectious.
However, malware is proliferated using various techniques. Therefore, be careful while browsing, as fraudulent and malicious online content usually appears genuine and harmless.
Additionally, download only from official and verified channels. Activate and update programs using legitimate functions/tools, as illegal activation ("cracking") tools and third-party updaters may contain malware.
We must emphasize the importance of having a dependable anti-virus installed and kept updated. This software must be used to run 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 "New Investor" spam email letter:
Subject: -{Sevices}-
Dear Sir,
I got a new investor contact that is ready to pool their financial resources for partnership with you and inject funds into your project in a Joint Venture contract agreement. I have contact with the former Angolan president's family Isabel Dos Santos of Angola with a business based in Kuwait She was once considered Africa's richest woman according to Forbes magazine, with a net worth exceeding US$2.5 billion, she was dropped from the magazine's list in January 2021 after the freezing of her assets in Angola, Portugal, and the Netherlands. Isabel Dos Santos is an Angolan businesswoman, the eldest child of Angola's former President José Eduardo Dos Santos, who ruled the country from 1979 to 2017.
She has raised about US$1 billion dollars, through her business associates in Kuwait to invest in projects with high-yield ROI. If you are interested in this opportunity, I will connect you with her business associates in Kuwait.
BUSINESS PROCEDURES:-
A family member/representative will visit you for a feasibility assessment and discussion of the terms of the JV contract. They don't honor discussions over the Internet or phone. My responsibility is to provide an enabling environment and comprehensive wealth management services for a successful closing.
Warmest regards,
Thanks.
J. Gold.
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Quick menu:
- What is "New Investor" spam 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 any relevant or accurate details that spam emails may include, they are not personal. This mail is sent out in large-scale campaigns – therefore, thousands of users receive identical (or incredibly similar) messages.
I have provided my personal information when tricked by this spam email, what should I do?
If you have provided your account credentials – change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support. If the compromised information is 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; reading an email poses no infection threat.
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 – the device was indeed compromised. However, some formats require additional actions (e.g., enabling macro commands, clicking embedded content, etc.) before initiating malware download/installation processes. Hence, if it was a document (.doc, .xls, .pdf, etc.) – you might have avoided the infection.
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?
Yes, Combo Cleaner can scan computers and eliminate all kinds of threats. It is capable of removing most of the known malware infections. Remember that sophisticated malicious programs usually hide deep within systems – therefore, performing a complete system scan is crucial.
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