Avoid getting scammed by fake "VATTENFALL AB" emails
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What kind of email is "VATTENFALL AB"?
After inspecting this "VATTENFALL AB" email, we determined that it is fake. This spam letter is presented as an invitation to bid on a project.
It must be emphasized that all the information provided by this email is false, and this mail is in no way associated with Vattenfall – the multinational power company owned by the Swedish state.
"VATTENFALL AB" email scam overview
The spam email with the subject "REQUEST FOR QUOTATION" (may vary) is disguised as a missive from Vattenfall AB. The letter invites the recipient to submit their bid as a potential partner in a project held by Vattenfall. Allegedly, the file attached to the email is an RFQ (Request For Quote).
It must be reiterated that all the claims made in this letter are false, and this mail is not associated with the actual Vattenfall AB.
The attachment is a PDF document titled "VATTENFALL AB.pdf" (filename may vary). It imitates an RFQ but does not specify what documentation is sought to submit a bid to the fake project.
Spam campaigns promote a wide variety of scams, and the scheme endorsed through this "VATTENFALL AB" campaign may operate in a variety of ways. This email invites recipients to communicate with scammers, who can trick victims into carrying out various actions.
Documents and data submitted in project bids can include sensitive or confidential corporate information. During communication with victims, cyber criminals can deceive victims into disclosing vulnerable data or entering it into phishing files, ranging from log-in credentials to finance-related information.
Additionally, scammers can lure victims into infecting their devices and even the corporate network through malicious files or websites (e.g., trojans, ransomware, cryptocurrency miners, etc.).
To summarize, by trusting an email like "VATTENFALL AB" – users can experience system infections, serious privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.
| Name | "VATTENFALL AB" spam email |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Recipient is invited to participate in a project bid. |
| Disguise | Vattenfall AB |
| Attachment(s) | VATTENFALL AB.pdf (filename may vary) |
| 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
Spam emails are infamous for being poorly put together and full of grammatical/spelling mistakes, but they can be competently made and even believably disguised as messages from genuine entities (e.g., companies, institutions, authorities, etc.). Various scams are facilitated through spam mail, and it is used in malware proliferation.
We have examined thousands of spam campaigns; "Grants And Loans By The World Bank", "Malware On Porn Website", "Kamer Van Koophandel (KVK) email scam", "Redundancies Across The Organization", "Invoice For Our Recent Order", and "Donation For Education And Less Privileged" are merely some of our latest articles on this mail.
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Spam campaigns proliferate malware by distributing malicious files as attachments or download links. These files come in various formats, e.g., executables (.exe, .run, etc.), archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), documents (Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, PDF, etc.), JavaScript, and so on.
When an infectious file is executed, run, or otherwise opened – malware download/installation is triggered. Some formats require more to initiate system infection chains. For example, Microsoft Office files need users to enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content), while Microsoft OneNote documents require them to click on embedded files or links.
How to avoid installation of malware?
We highly recommend approaching incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages with care. Attachments or links present in dubious/irrelevant mail must not be opened, as they can be virulent.
However, malware is not distributed exclusively via spam mail. Therefore, we advise caution when browsing since the Internet is rife with deceptive and malicious content.
Furthermore, all downloads must be performed from official and verified channels. Another recommendation is to activate and update software using legitimate functions/tools, as illegal activation ("cracking") tools and third-party updates 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 "VATTENFALL AB" spam email letter:
Subject: REQUEST FOR QUOTATION
Good Day,
VATTENFALL AB is pleased to invite your company to submit a BID as we are seeking a qualified partner in achieving our project goal and believe that your company's expertise aligns well with our needs.
Product Unique Code: ECOINT-MNBBHFG5674
Product: ECOINT-MNBBHFG5674 Pump
Qty. 28 units
Enclosed, you will find the RFQ, We encourage you to read through the document carefully and provide a comprehensive BID that addresses our needs.
Thank you for considering this opportunity. We are excited about the possibility of working with your company and look forward to your response.
Kindly send us your quotation for immediate approval. E-mail: quotation@vattenfallsupplies.com
Regards
Mats Granryd
Chairman Procurement Manager - Vattenfall
Address: Rue de la Loi, 223 B-1040 Brussels Belgium
Registration number: 556036-2138.
VAT number: BE0457620858
Tel:+32 3 3320151
Fax: +32 23336333
Screenshot of the file attached to this spam email ("VATTENFALL AB.pdf"):
Instant automatic malware removal:
Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ 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 "VATTENFALL AB" 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?
Spam emails are not personal, even if they include information relevant to the recipients. The inclusion of any such data is facilitated through publicly available sources or phishing scams. Cyber criminals distribute these emails in massive campaigns – hence, 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 log-in credentials – change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support. However, if you have disclosed other private data (e.g., ID card details, passport scans/photos, credit/debit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact relevant authorities.
I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?
Reading an email is harmless, as devices are infected 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 computer was infected might depend on the format of the opened file. Once opened, executables (.exe, .run, etc.) cause infections almost without fail. While some other formats – like documents (.doc, .xls, .one, .pdf, etc.) – may need additional interaction to begin downloading/installing malware like enabling macro commands, clicking embedded content, and so on.
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?
Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and remove most of the known malware infections. Note that sophisticated malicious software usually hides deep within systems – therefore, running a complete system scan is paramount.
Outstanding!
▼ Show Discussion