How to identify scams like "Avast - Scan Your Email Account"

What is the "Avast - Scan Your Email Account" scam?

Upon examining this website (www-avast.pages[.]dev), we determined that it is a phishing page. Scammers created it to trick visitors into believing they are on a legitimate Avast page and disclosing personal information. It is important to note that Avast is a legitimate cybersecurity software company that has nothing to do with the scam page.

"Avast - Scan Your Email Account" phishing scam in detail

On this scam website, the visitor is presented with a fake offer to scan their email account to delete the "deadly virus". The page claims that after scanning the mailbox, the email account will be free from virus. It implies that the visitor's email account has been compromised.

Clicking the "Scan Mailbox" button triggers a prompt to "authenticate the email account" by entering an email address and password (email account login credentials). If these credentials are entered, and the "SCAN" button is clicked, this fraudulent site displays a pop-up message claiming that the entered password is incorrect and encouraging to try again.

In reality, the entered login credentials are sent to scammers. When scammers obtain email login credentials, they can infiltrate email accounts to gather sensitive data, send fraudulent emails, spread malware, and more. They might also attempt to access social media, banking, or other critical accounts using the same credentials or by exploiting the compromised email.

Additionally, stolen email credentials are often sold on the dark web to other criminals. Therefore, it is crucial to exercise caution and avoid sharing personal information on unofficial and suspicious websites.

Threat Summary:

Name	Avast - Scan Your Email Account phishing website
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Users must scan their computers to remove a "deadly" virus
Disguise	Legitimate Avast website
Related Domain	www-avast.pages[.]dev
Detection Names (www-avast.pages[.]dev)	Sophos (Spam), Trustwave (Suspicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Symptoms	Fake error messages, fake system warnings, pop-up errors, hoax computer scan.
Distribution methods	Compromised websites, rogue online pop-up ads, potentially unwanted applications.
Damage	Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft, possible malware infections.
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.

Similar scams in general

Phishing websites are deceptive sites crafted to extract sensitive information. However, they can also be used for other purposes (e.g., steal money or deliver malware). Typically, they exploit the names of legitimate companies, organizations, or other entities to appear legitimate.

Some examples of scam websites are "WARNING: Antivirus Protection EXPIRED!", "IRS Crypto Scam", and "TotalAV - Card Payment Has Failed!".

How did I open a scam website?

Users often land on scam websites via deceptive advertisements, pop-ups, buttons, and similar content on unreliable sites. Pages that use rogue advertising networks (e.g., various torrent sites and illegal movie streaming websites) can also direct users to fraudulent (including phishing) websites.

Additionally, scammers can send deceptive emails (or messages) containing links to trick users into landing on scam pages. Adware is also used to promote unreliable web pages that can include sites designed to steal personal information.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Avoid clicking links included in unsolicited emails or messages from unknown senders, as well as pop-ups, ads, and similar content on questionable websites. Download software, files, and applications from reliable sources (official websites or app stores). Do not visit web pages hosting illegal content (e.g., pirated software).

Additionally, keep the operating system and all software up to date and scan your computer regularly with a reputable security tool. If your computer is already infected with unwanted apps, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

The appearance of "Avast - Scan Your Email Account" pop-up scam (GIF):

The message in this scam:

avast

SCAN PROCESSING....

Scan your email account to delete the deadly
Virus
Antivirus
[Scan Mailbox]
Your email account will be free from virus

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 Avast - Scan Your Email Account phishing website?
• How to identify a pop-up scam?
• How do pop-up scams work?
• How to remove fake pop-ups?
• How to prevent fake pop-ups?
• What to do if you fell for a pop-up scam?

How to identify a pop-up scam?

Pop-up windows with various fake messages are a common type of lures cybercriminals use. They collect sensitive personal data, trick Internet users into calling fake tech support numbers, subscribe to useless online services, invest in shady cryptocurrency schemes, etc.

While in the majority of cases these pop-ups don't infect users' devices with malware, they can cause direct monetary loss or could result in identity theft.

Cybercriminals strive to create their rogue pop-up windows to look trustworthy, however, scams typically have the following characteristics:

• Spelling mistakes and non-professional images - Closely inspect the information displayed in a pop-up. Spelling mistakes and unprofessional images could be a sign of a scam.
• Sense of urgency - Countdown timer with a couple of minutes on it, asking you to enter your personal information or subscribe to some online service.
• Statements that you won something - If you haven't participated in a lottery, online competition, etc., and you see a pop-up window stating that you won.
• Computer or mobile device scan - A pop-up window that scans your device and informs of detected issues - is undoubtedly a scam; webpages cannot perform such actions.
• Exclusivity - Pop-up windows stating that only you are given secret access to a financial scheme that can quickly make you rich.

Example of a pop-up scam:

How do pop-up scams work?

Cybercriminals and deceptive marketers usually use various advertising networks, search engine poisoning techniques, and shady websites to generate traffic to their pop-ups. Users land on their online lures after clicking on fake download buttons, using a torrent website, or simply clicking on an Internet search engine result.

Based on users' location and device information, they are presented with a scam pop-up. Lures presented in such pop-ups range from get-rich-quick schemes to fake virus scans.

How to remove fake pop-ups?

In most cases, pop-up scams do not infect users' devices with malware. If you encountered a scam pop-up, simply closing it should be enough. In some cases scam, pop-ups may be hard to close; in such cases - close your Internet browser and restart it.

In extremely rare cases, you might need to reset your Internet browser. For this, use our instructions explaining how to reset Internet browser settings.

How to prevent fake pop-ups?

To prevent seeing pop-up scams, you should visit only reputable websites. Torrent, Crack, free online movie streaming, YouTube video download, and other websites of similar reputation commonly redirect Internet users to pop-up scams.

To minimize the risk of encountering pop-up scams, you should keep your Internet browsers up-to-date and use reputable anti-malware application. For this purpose, we recommend Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.

What to do if you fell for a pop-up scam?

This depends on the type of scam that you fell for. Most commonly, pop-up scams try to trick users into sending money, giving away personal information, or giving access to one's device.

• If you sent money to scammers: You should contact your financial institution and explain that you were scammed. If informed promptly, there's a chance to get your money back.
• If you gave away your personal information: You should change your passwords and enable two-factor authentication in all online services that you use. Visit Federal Trade Commission to report identity theft and get personalized recovery steps.
• If you let scammers connect to your device: You should scan your computer with reputable anti-malware (we recommend Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows) - cyber criminals could have planted trojans, keyloggers, and other malware, don't use your computer until removing possible threats.
• Help other Internet users: report Internet scams to Federal Trade Commission.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is a scam website?

It is a fraudulent web page designed to trick individuals into taking actions benefiting scammers. These scam web pages use urgent language, enticing offers, scare tactics, or other techniques to deceive users.

What is the purpose of a scam site?

Typically, scammers use websites of this kind to steal sensitive information or money from unsuspecting individuals. Also, they can use scams to deliver malware.

Why do I encounter scam websites?

Users frequently end up on scam websites through deceptive ads, pop-ups, and links on unreliable sites, such as torrent or illegal streaming pages. Scammers may also use fraudulent emails or messages with links to lure users to these sites. Additionally, adware can direct users to unreliable pages aimed at stealing personal information.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan every website you visit and can identify malicious ones. This includes sites that host scams, so you will be instantly alerted, and access will be blocked.

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