Avoid losing your account via fake "Verify Delivery Error" emails

What kind of email is "Verify Delivery Error"?

"Verify Delivery Error" is a spam email claiming that recipients' messages failed delivery. This fake letter pressures users into verifying the "delivery error" by warning them that failing to do so will result in the email account getting blocked. The purpose of this phishing mail is to trick recipients into disclosing their email log-in credentials (passwords).

"Verify Delivery Error" email scam overview

The spam email with the subject "Delivery Status Notification (Failure)" (may vary) states that some of the messages sent by the recipient were not delivered. The letter instructs to verify the unsent emails by clicking the "Verify Delivery Error" button. If the recipient fails to comply, they are alerted that their email account will be blocked.

It must be reiterated that the information in this letter is false, and this mail is not associated with any genuine service providers or other entities.

Once the aforementioned button is pressed, it results in a redirect to a phishing website. At the time of research, the webpage was down. Typically, spam campaigns of this kind endorse sites targeting email account log-in credentials. Keep in mind that potential future releases of this campaign may redirect to operational webpages.

Phishing sites can be incredibly convincing; they are often presented as email sign-in pages, some even mimic webpages of recipients' mail service providers.

Information, such as log-in credentials, entered into these websites is recorded and sent to scammers. Stolen email accounts can be variously abused, even serve as a gateway to gaining control over the accounts/platforms/services registered through them.

To elaborate, cyber criminals can steal the identities of account owners (e.g., emails, social media, social networking, messengers, etc.) and ask the contacts/friends/followers for loans or donations, promote scams, and proliferate malware by sharing malicious links/files.

What is more, compromised finance-related accounts (e.g., e-commerce, money transferring, digital wallets, online banking, etc.) can be used to make unauthorized transactions or online purchases.

To summarize, by trusting an email like "Verify Delivery Error" – users can experience serious privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

If you have provided your log-in credentials to a phishing site or file – change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support without delay.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Verify Delivery Error" phishing email
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Emails sent by the recipient failed delivery and must be verified.
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; "Error In The Mail Service", "Emails Need Your Attention", and "Webmail - Mail Basic" are merely a couple examples of phishing emails.

However, various scams are promoted through spam mail, and it is used to spread malware. False claims are used to gain recipients' trust; prevalent lures concern undelivered emails, account issues, outdated passwords, security concerns, upgrades, invoices, business proposals, refunds, lotteries, inheritances, etc.

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

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Cyber criminals commonly use spam campaigns to proliferate malware. Spam emails/messages can include infectious files as attachments or download links. These files can be documents (e.g., PDF, Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), JavaScript, and so on.

Merely opening such a file can be enough to trigger the system infection chain. However, some formats require additional actions to initiate malware download/installation. For example, Microsoft Office files need users to enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content), while OneNote documents require them to click on embedded links or files.

How to avoid installation of malware?

It is important to treat incoming emails and other messages with care. We advise against opening attachments or links found in suspicious/irrelevant mail, as they can be harmful or virulent.

It must be mentioned that malware is not distributed only via spam mail. Therefore, we recommend vigilance when browsing since the Internet is full of deceptive and malicious content.

Furthermore, all downloads must be performed from official and trustworthy sources. Another recommendation is to activate and update software using functions/tools provided by legitimate developers, as illegal activation ("cracking") tools and third-party updaters may contain malware.

We must emphasize the importance of having a reputable anti-virus installed and kept updated. Security programs must be used to run regular system scans and to remove detected threats. 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 "Verify Delivery Error" spam email letter:

Subject: Delivery Status Notification (Failure)

I'm sorry to have to inform you that some messages could not be delivered to one or more recipients.

For further assistance, please verify messages to postmaster with below link.

Verify Delivery Error

Your account will be blocked on failure to carry out this above activity.

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Quick menu:

• What is "Verify Delivery Error" 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?

Spam emails are not personal, even if they include details relevant tot he recipient. These messages are sent out in massive operations – hence, thousands of users receive identical (or incredibly similar) emails.

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

If you have disclosed your log-in credentials – change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support without delay. And if you have provided other private data (e.g., ID card details, passport scans/photos, credit/debit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact the appropriate authorities.

I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?

Reading an email will not initiate any system infection processes. Systems are compromised when malicious attachments or links are opened/clicked.

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

If the opened file was an executable (.exe, .run, etc.) – most likely, yes – your device was infected. However, you might have avoided this if it was a document (.doc, .pdf, .xls, .one, etc.). These formats may need additional actions (e.g., enabling macros, clicking embedded content, etc.) to initiate malware download/installation processes.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Yes, Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and eliminating almost all known malware infections. It must be stressed that performing a complete system scan is paramount since sophisticated malicious software usually hides deep within systems.

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