Do not trust fake "Estimate Of The Cost And Availability" emails

What kind of email is "Estimate Of The Cost And Availability"?

Upon inspection, we determined that the "Estimate Of The Cost And Availability" email is spam. The letter fakes previous communication and repeats the inquiry concerning a quote. This mail promotes a phishing website that targets email account log-in credentials.

"Estimate Of The Cost And Availability" email scam overview

The email with the subject "Re: Inquiry About Contracting Services" (may vary) implies continued communication. The supposed sender claims not to have received a response to their previous inquiry. The sender requests an update on the project quote they had queried about last week. The letter even imitates a previous chain email concerning a project seeking vendors.

It must be stressed that the information in this letter is false, and this spam mail is not associated with any genuine entities.

The link in this email and the attached file – "Specification.htm" – lead to the same webpage. This phishing site depicts blurred PDF and image files; it is overlaid by a pop-up instructing the user to sign in with their email to access shared files. Phishing websites record entered information and send it to scammers.

Emails are of such interest as they typically include confidential data and may open an avenue for stealing the accounts, platforms, and services registered through them. Sensitive information discovered in stolen accounts can be used for a variety of nefarious purposes, including blackmail and sale to the victim's business competitors.

To expand upon how the unauthorized access can be abused, cyber criminals can steal account owners' identities (e.g., emails, social media/networking, messengers, etc.) can ask contacts/friends/followers for loans or donations, promote scams, and spread malware by sharing malicious links or files.

Furthermore, hijacked finance-related accounts (e.g., e-commerce, digital wallets, money transferring, online banking, etc.) can be used to make fraudulent transactions or online purchases.

To summarize, by trusting an email like "Estimate Of The Cost And Availability" – users can experience severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

If you have already disclosed your account credentials – immediately change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Estimate Of The Cost And Availability" phishing email
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Recipient is queried for an update on the previously discussed project quote.
Attachment(s)	Specification.htm (filename may vary)
Detection Names (attachment)	N/A (VirusTotal)
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 written about countless spam campaigns; "Bank Transfer Accounting Copy", "E-Fax Center", "You Are Shortlisted For Tender", and "You Have Crucial Mails Pending" are merely some of our latest articles on phishing emails.

Aside from log-in credentials, these messages primarily target personally identifiable information and finance-related data. Other scams are also endorsed through spam mail, and it is used in malware proliferation.

While the widely held belief that these emails are poorly constructed and riddled with errors is not untrue – that is not always the case. These letters can be competently crafted and even convincingly disguised as messages from legitimate entities (e.g., companies, service providers, institutions, organizations, authorities, etc.).

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Spam campaigns spread malware by distributing infectious files as attachments or download links. These files can be archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), documents (PDF, Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, etc.), JavaScript, and so on.

Malware download/installation is triggered once a virulent file is opened. However, some formats need extra actions to initiate infection processes. For example, Microsoft Office files require users to enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content), while OneNote documents need them to click on embedded files or links.

How to avoid installation of malware?

We advise vigilance with incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages. Attachments or links present in suspicious/irrelevant mail must not be opened, as they can be infectious.

However, malware is distributed using various techniques. Therefore, we recommend being careful while browsing since fake and malicious online content usually appears legitimate and innocuous.

Additionally, all downloads must be made from official and verified sources. Software must be activated using functions/tools provided by genuine developers, as illegal product activation ("cracking") tools and third-party updates may contain malware.

We must emphasize that having a reputable anti-virus installed and kept updated is crucial to device/user safety. Security programs must be used to perform 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 "Estimate Of The Cost And Availability" spam email letter:

Subject: Re: Inquiry About Contracting Services

Hi buddy. i haven't heard back regarding my previous inquiry and was hoping to get an update on the quote I requested last week.

as stated here are the uploaded plans and video. please review and provide me with a rough estimate of the cost and your availability.
-

Kind regards

Dave

Appearance of the "Estimate Of The Cost And Availability" spam email (GIF):

Screenshot of the file attached to this spam email ("Specification.htm"):

Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by this spam campaign:

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▼ 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 "Estimate Of The Cost And Availability" 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, regardless of any relevant information that they may include. These messages are sent out in massive operations – therefore, 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 provided your log-in credentials – change the passwords of all potentially exposed accounts and inform their official support. However, if the disclosed information was of a different personal nature (e.g., passport scans, ID card details, credit card numbers, etc.) – contact the appropriate authorities without delay.

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

No, opening/reading an email poses no infection threat. 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?

If the opened file was an executable (.exe, .run, etc.) – it is highly probable that your device was infected. However, you might have avoided the infection if it was a document (.doc, .xls, .one, .pdf, etc.). These formats may require additional user interaction to initiate malware download/installation (e.g., enabling macros, clicking embedded files/links, etc.).

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Yes, Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and eliminating nearly all known malware infections. Remember that sophisticated malicious programs tend to hide deep within systems – hence, performing a full system scan is essential.

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