Avoid losing your account via fake "DHL Pickup Confirmation" emails
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What kind of email is "DHL Pickup Confirmation"?
After examining the "DHL Pickup Confirmation" email, we determined that it is fake. This spam message is presented as an alert concerning a shipment. It lures recipients into a convincingly disguised phishing website that targets email account log-in credentials.
It must be emphasized that the information in this email is false, and this mail is in no way associated with the actual DHL logistics company.
"DHL Pickup Confirmation" email scam overview
The spam email with the subject "Pending Shipment: DHL Pickup Confirmation" (may vary) states that the recipient's shipment has been scheduled. The message details the shipment by indicating its quantity, weight, pickup date/time, and delivery address (listed as unconfirmed). The shipping documentation can be found in the attachment.
It must be reiterated that the claims made by this email are false, and this mail is not associated with DHL.
The attached file – "Shipment4447000000563882884_20240911010525pdf.shtml" (filename may vary) – redirects to a phishing site. The page is disguised as DHL's official website; it instructs the user to confirm their "email access" to track the shipment. Phishing webpages record entered information and send it to scammers.
Emails are incredibly sought after, as they tend to include private/confidential data, and that is especially true of work accounts. Furthermore, cyber criminals might be able to gain control over the accounts, platforms, and services registered through a hijacked email.
To elaborate on how this can be abused, scammers can steal account owners' identities (e.g., emails, social networking, social media, messengers, etc.) and ask contacts/friends/followers for loans or donations, promote scams, and spread malware by sharing malicious files/links.
Stolen finance-related accounts (e.g., online banking, e-commerce, money transferring, digital wallets, etc.) can be used to make fraudulent transactions and online purchases.
In summary, victims of scam emails like "DHL Pickup Confirmation" can experience serious privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.
If you have already provided your log-in credentials to a phishing site – change the passwords of all potentially exposed accounts and inform their official support without delay.
| Name | "DHL Pickup Confirmation" phishing email |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Recipient's shipment has been scheduled. |
| Disguise | DHL logistics company |
| Attachment(s) | Shipment4447000000563882884_20240911010525pdf.shtml (filename may vary) |
| Detection Names (attachment) | Microsoft (Trojan:HTML/Phish.HNBD!MTB), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
| Related Domains | kinz[.]cloud |
| Detection Names (kinz[.]cloud) | CRDF (Malicious), CyRadar (Malicious), ESET (Phishing), Fortinet (Phishing), Google Safebrowsing (Phishing), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
| Serving IP Address (kinz[.]cloud) | 172.93.120.13 |
| 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. |
Phishing spam campaign examples
We have investigated numerous phishing emails; "Estimate Of The Cost And Availability", "Bank Transfer Accounting Copy", "E-Fax Center", "You Are Shortlisted For Tender", and "Internet Corporation For Assigned Names And Numbers (ICANN)" are just some of our latest articles.
However, various scams are promoted through spam mail. Furthermore, these messages are used to distribute malware.
Spam emails are often poorly written and full of grammatical/spelling errors, yet they can be competently put together and even believably disguised as messages from legitimate companies, service providers, organizations, authorities, and other entities.
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Cyber criminals commonly use spam campaigns to proliferate malware. These emails/messages include infectious files as attachments or download links. Virulent files come in various formats, e.g., documents (PDF, Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, etc.), archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), JavaScript, and so on.
The infection chain is triggered once a malicious file is opened. Some formats need extra actions to jumpstart malware download/installation. For example, Microsoft Office files require users to enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content), while OneNote documents need them to click embedded links or files.
How to avoid installation of malware?
Incoming emails, DMs/PMs, SMSes, and other messages must be approached with caution. Therefore, do not open attachments or links found in dubious/irrelevant mail.
However, malware is proliferated using various methods. Hence, be careful while browsing since the Internet is rife with well-disguised fraudulent and dangerous content.
Additionally, download only from official and verified sources. Activate and update programs using functions/tools provided by legitimate developers, as illegal activation ("cracking") tools and third-party updaters can contain malware.
We must stress the importance of having a dependable anti-virus installed and kept up-to-date. Security software 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 "DHL Pickup Confirmation" spam email letter:
Subject: Pending Shipment: DHL Pickup Confirmation
DHL.com | Ship | Track | Manage
DHL Pickup Confirmation — DHL Express DY**3044
Your DHL Shipment is scheduled. Download Attached file to view your Shipping Documents.
Details: Shipping Documents DHL Express: Confirmation no. DY**3044
Contact: ******** Total no. of packages: 1
Status: Pending Total weight: 1.0 KG
Address: Not confirmed Pickup Date: 9/24/2024
City: Not confirmed Pickup Time: 4:16 PM
This is a post-only mailing. Please do not reply to this message.
Screenshot of the fake DHL website promoted by this spam campaign:
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Quick menu:
- What is "DHL Pickup Confirmation" 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?
Even if spam emails include relevant details, they are not personal. This mail is distributed in mass-scale campaigns – therefore, 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 compromised accounts and inform their official support. And if you've disclosed other private information (e.g., ID card details, passport photos/scans, credit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact the corresponding authorities.
I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?
Merely opening/reading an email is harmless; devices 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?
Whether your device was infected depends on the file's purpose (i.e., decoy, phishing, or malware infiltration). File formats can also impact infection success rates. Once opened, executables cause infections almost without fail. However, some other formats – like documents – might need additional interaction (such as enabling macros, clicking embedded content, etc.) to initiate malware download/installation.
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?
Yes, Combo Cleaner is designed to scan systems and remove all kinds of threats. It is capable of detecting and eliminating most of the known malware infections. It must be mentioned that performing a complete system scan is critical since sophisticated malicious software usually hides deep within systems.
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