Avoid getting scammed by fake "Specification Of Products" emails

What kind of email is "Specification Of Products"?

Our inspection of the "Specification Of Products" email revealed that it is spam. This mail is presented as an RFQ (Request For Quotation), and it instructs recipients to review the supposed documentation via the linked website. The promoted page operates by phishing for email account log-in credentials.

"Specification Of Products" email scam overview

The spam email with the subject "Urgent RFQ" (may vary) requests the recipient to review the specifications for products the sender wishes to purchase from their company. The recipient is also asked to provide a reasonable quote for this purchase. The letter informs that viewing the sent documents will necessitate providing their (email) password.

It must be emphasized that the information in this letter is false, and it is not associated with any legitimate entities.

The phishing site endorsed through this spam mail is presented as Microsoft SharePoint. The fake webpage states that "These files are sensitive and secured against unauthorized access. In order to access this file, please provide your correct email credentials, we will connect to your email provider through a secured IMAP channel to authorize your download."

Log-in credentials entered into this website are recorded and sent to scammers. Based on the contents of this spam mail, it is clearly targeting business emails that are likely to contain incredibly sensitive information or even serve as a gateway to infecting the company networks with malware (e.g., trojans, ransomware, etc.).

Emails are also used to register other content; thus, cyber criminals might gain control over linked accounts or platforms. Scammers can steal the identities of account owners (e.g., emails, social media, social networking, etc.) and request loans or donations from contacts/friends/followers, endorse scams, and proliferate malware by sharing malicious files/links.

Confidential/Compromising content found on data storage or similar platforms could be used for blackmail or other nefarious purposes. Stolen finance-related accounts (e.g., online banking, money transferring, e-commerce, digital wallets, etc.) can be used to make fraudulent transactions and online purchases.

In summary, by trusting an email like "Specification Of Products" – users may experience system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

If you have already disclosed your log-in credentials – immediately change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and contact their official support.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Specification Of Products" phishing email
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Recipient is asked to review the request for quotation (RFQ).
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

We have investigated countless spam campaigns; "New Messages Notification", "DNS Error", "Wells Fargo - Account Verification Required", "Request To Cancel Your Services", and "Your Password Changed" are merely some of our newest articles on phishing emails.

These letters primarily target log-in credentials of various accounts, personally identifiable information, and finance-related data. Other scams are promoted through spam mail as well, and it is used to distribute malware.

Due to how widespread this mail is and how well-crafted it can be – we highly recommend exercising caution with incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Spam campaigns spread malware by distributing malicious files as attachments or download links. These files can be documents (PDF, Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, etc.), archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), JavaScript, and so on. Once an infectious file is opened – the malware download/installation process is triggered. However, some formats require additional actions to jumpstart system infection chains. For example, Microsoft Office files need users to enable macro commands (i.e., content/editing), while OneNote documents require them to click embedded links or files.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Incoming emails and other messages must be approached with care. Do not open attachments or links found in dubious/irrelevant mail, as they can be virulent.

Keep in mind that malware is not proliferated exclusively through spam mail. Therefore, be vigilant while browsing since fake and malicious online content usually appears legitimate and harmless.

Additionally, download only from official and trustworthy channels. Activate and update software using functions/tools provided by genuine developers, as illegal activation ("cracking") tools and third-party updaters can contain malware.

It is paramount to have a dependable anti-virus installed and kept up-to-date. Security programs must be used to run regular system scans and to remove detected 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 "Specification Of Products" spam email letter:

Subject: Urgent RFQ

Dear Sir/Ma'am,

Please kindly view the specification of products that we want to purchase from your company and provide us with a good Quotation.

VIEW FILES

You will also find our company introduction for your reference and kindly note that you can view each document by entering your password.

Waiting for your urgent feedback and best offer.

Mariam Ahmed
Purchasing/Export Department
Brandus-group.com
Head Office Office 2126 Building 2504,

Road 2832 Block 428 PO Box 30356 Duraz, Bahrain

Tel: +973 396 34533

Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by the "Specification Of Products" spam campaign:

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Quick menu:

• What is "Specification Of Products" 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 any relevant details that they may include, spam emails are not personal. Cyber criminals send this mail in massive operations with the hopes that at least some recipients will fall for their scams.

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 compromised accounts and inform their official support without delay. However, if the disclosed information was of a different personal nature (i.e., ID card details, credit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact the corresponding authorities.

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 compromised might depend on the format of the opened file. If it was an executable (.exe, .run, etc.) – most likely, yes – since these files cause infections almost without fail. However, some formats like documents (.doc, .xls, .one, .pdf, etc.) may need additional actions to initiate infection chains (e.g., enabling macro commands, clicking embedded content, etc.).

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and remove practically all known malware infections. It must be stressed that running a full system scan is crucial since sophisticated malicious programs typically hide deep within systems.

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