Avoid infecting your device via fake "Price And Delivery Time" emails

What kind of email is "Price And Delivery Time"?

After inspecting the "Price And Delivery Time" email, we determined that it is malspam. The purpose of this malicious spam is to deceive recipients into infecting their devices with malware by luring them with a supposed purchase order.

"Price And Delivery Time" email virus overview

The spam email with the subject "New Order from Start Group S.R.L" (may vary) implies previous communication with the recipient. Allegedly, the sender had contacted them a month ago but did not receive a response. The email requests the recipient to provide a price quote, including the estimated delivery time. Details of the order can be found in the attachment.

It must be stressed that the information in the message is false, and this mail is not associated with any legitimate companies or other entities.

It is currently unknown what malware the attached file – "New Order.xls" (filename may vary) – spreads. Once opened, the infectious Microsoft Excel file displays a blurred table overlaid by a window claiming that the document is protected and can be accessed by enabling editing (i.e., macro commands).

Files of this kind use malicious macros to download/install malware. The infection caused through the "Price And Delivery Time" campaign could be a trojan, ransomware, cryptocurrency miner, or other malware. Regardless of how malicious software operates – its presence on a system threatens device integrity and user safety.

To summarize, victims of scam mail like "Price And Delivery Time" can experience system infections, serious privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Price And Delivery Time" malspam
Threat Type	Malspam, trojan, password-stealing virus, banking malware, spyware.
Fake Claim	Recipient is requested to review the attached purchase order and provide a quote.
Attachment(s)	New Order.xls (filename may vary)
Detection Names	Avast (Other:Malware-gen [Trj]), DrWeb (PDF.Phisher.666), ESET-NOD32 (DOC/TrojanDownloader.Agent.FLJ), Fortinet (MSExcel/CVE_2017_0199.DDOC!exploit), Symantec (Scr.Malcode!gen59), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Symptoms	Trojans are designed to stealthily infiltrate the victim's computer and remain silent, and thus no particular symptoms are clearly visible on an infected machine.
Distribution methods	Infected email attachments, malicious online advertisements, social engineering, software 'cracks'.
Damage	Stolen passwords and banking information, identity theft, the victim's computer added to a botnet.
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.

Malspam campaign examples

We have examined countless spam emails; "Compromise Of Your Digital Identity", "Redundancies Across The Organization", "Por Este Medio Notifico La Presente Demanda", and "Products We Want To Purchase" are merely some of our latest articles on malspam.

These letters proliferate a wide variety of malicious software. However, they are also used to facilitate various scams, such as phishing, tech support, sextortion, refund, inheritance, lottery, etc.

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

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

The "Price And Delivery Time" email has a malicious Microsoft Excel document attached. After it is opened and the macro commands (i.e., editing/content) are enabled – the file initiates malware download/installation.

However, spam messages can also spread infectious files via download links. These files come in various formats, e.g., documents (Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, PDF, etc.), archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), JavaScript, and so on.

Merely opening such a file can be enough to trigger the system infection chain. Some formats need additional user interaction, such as enabling macros, clicking embedded content, or performing other actions.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Caution is key to device/user safety. Therefore, treat incoming emails and other messages with vigilance. Do not open attachments or links found in dubious/irrelevant mail, as they can be harmful or virulent.

It must be mentioned that malware is proliferated using various techniques. Hence, be careful while browsing since the Internet is rife with well-disguised fraudulent and dangerous content.

Furthermore, download only from official and trustworthy sources. Activate and update software using functions/tools provided by legitimate developers, as illegal product activation tools ("cracks") and fake updates may contain malware.

It is paramount to have a dependable anti-virus installed and kept updated. Security programs must be used to perform 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 "Price And Delivery Time" email letter:

Subject: New Order from Start Group S.R.L

Good morning,

I am Mrs. Elena Cristea from Start Group S.R.L located in Romania.Attached is the order I sent to you last month without a response. Would you please quote your price and delivery time for the following items in the attached order?

I appreciate your co-operation in advance.

Elena Cristea

Purchase Manager STAR T GROUP S.R.L. Delea Veche 12, building A, office 4-2, Sector 3 Bucharest, Romania Tel : +40 478 246 150 Web: www.startgroup.ro

Screenshot of the malicious attachment distributed via this spam campaign ("New Order.xls"):

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 "Price And Delivery Time" malspam?
• 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?

Even if they include relevant information, spam emails are not personal. These messages are sent out in large-scale campaigns – hence, thousands of users receive identical (or incredibly similar) emails.

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

No, merely reading an email is harmless. Systems 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?

File formats may influence infection success rates. Opening a malicious file can be enough to jumpstart malware download/installation; this is true of executables (.exe, .run, etc.). However, some formats – like documents (.doc, .xls, .pdf, .one, etc.) – may need extra actions. Therefore, the infection might only be triggered after macro commands are enabled, embedded files/links are clicked, or other actions are performed.

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

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

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and remove almost all known malware infections. It must be emphasized running a full system scan is crucial since high-end malicious software usually hides deep within systems.

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