Avoid infecting your device via fake "DHL - Customs Clearance" emails
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What kind of email is "DHL - Customs Clearance"?
Upon examination, we determined that the "DHL - Customs Clearance" email is fake. This spam email is malspam. It lures recipients by claiming that the attached file contains documents concerning a shipment's customs clearance. The attachment is intended to infect victims' computers with malware.
It must be emphasized that this fraudulent message is not associated with the actual DHL logistics company.
"DHL - Customs Clearance" email virus overview
The spam email with the subject "DHL CONSIGNMENT NOTIFICATION: AWB 9892671327 Clearance Doc" (may vary) informs the recipient that the attachment contains customs clearance related documents for their AWB (air waybill/ air consignment note).
The message details what the recipient has to do if there are duties that must be paid. It also includes information on how to access shipment tracking and how to contact customer support.
It must be reiterated that the claims in this email are false, and this mail is in no way associated with the real DHL.
The email attachment – "DHL Receipt AWB 9892671327.xls" (filename may vary) – is a malicious Microsoft Excel file. Once opened, it appears to be overlaid by a pop-up that instructs to enable "Editing" (macro commands) to access the "protected document". When the macros are enabled, the file executes malware download/installation.
What malicious program is spread by this file is unknown. To expand upon some of the most common malware types, ransomware operates by encrypting files in order to demand ransoms for the decryption. Trojan is an umbrella term covering malicious programs with various harmful capabilities.
"Trojan" encompasses: backdoors – open a "backdoor" for further infection; loaders – download/install additional programs/components; injectors – inject malicious code into software/processes; stealers – extract data from systems/apps; grabbers – steal files; spyware – tracks locations and records content (e.g., desktop live-streaming, taking screenshots, recording audio/video via microphones/cameras, etc.); keyloggers – record keystrokes; clippers – steal/replace clipboard content; and so on.
To summarize, by trusting an email like "DHL - Customs Clearance" – users may experience multiple system infections, serious privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.
If you suspect that your device is infected – perform a full system scan with anti-virus software and immediately remove all detected threats.
| Name | "DHL - Customs Clearance" malspam |
| Threat Type | Malspam, malicious spam, trojan, password-stealing virus, banking malware, spyware. |
| Fake Claim | Email has a customs clearance related document attached to it. |
| Disguise | DHL logistics company |
| Attachment(s) | DHL Receipt AWB 9892671327.xls (filename may vary) |
| Detection Names | Combo Cleaner (Exploit.CVE-2017-0199.05.Gen), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of Generik.LGFJKDG), Fortinet (MSExcel/CVE_2017_0199.DDOC!exploit), GData (Exploit.CVE-2017-0199.05.Gen), Microsoft (Exploit:O97M/CVE-2017-0199), 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. |
Malspam campaign examples
We have examined countless spam emails; "Product Specification For Korean Market", "DHL Airfreight", "Price And Delivery Time", and "Compromise Of Your Digital Identity" are just some of our newest articles on malspam.
Aside from malware proliferation, spam emails are used to facilitate various scams. Phishing for sensitive information (e.g., log-in credentials, personally identifiable details, finance-related data, etc.) is the most prevalent.
Due to how widespread spam mail is and how well-made it can be – we highly recommend approaching incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages with caution.
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Spam campaigns distribute malware through malicious files, which can be attached to or linked inside the emails/messages. Infectious files can be archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), documents (PDF, Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, etc.), JavaScript, and so on.
The "DHL - Customs Clearance" email we analyzed had a Microsoft Excel attached. Some formats need only be opened to begin downloading/installing malware, while others require additional actions. The latter is true of Excel and other Office files, which need users to enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content) to initiate infection processes.
How to avoid installation of malware?
It is essential to exercise caution with incoming emails, DMs/PMs, SMSes, and other messages. We advise against opening attachments or links present in dubious mail, as they can be harmful or virulent.
It must be mentioned that malware is spread using various methods. Therefore, we recommend being careful while browsing since the Internet is rife with deceptive and malicious content.
Furthermore, all downloads must be made from official and verified channels. Another recommendation is to activate and update software using legitimate functions/tools, as illegal activation tools ("cracks") and third-party updates can contain malware.
We must emphasize that having a reputable anti-virus installed and kept up-to-date is paramount to device/user safety. Security programs must be used to run 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 - Customs Clearance" spam email letter:
Subject: DHL CONSIGNMENT NOTIFICATION: AWB 9892671327 Clearance Doc
Dear Customer,
Please find attached customs clearance related documents for AWB 9892601327.
In case there are duties levied on your shipment, please keep duty amount ready for successful delivery attempt (Exact amount to be paid will be reflecting in DHL duty invoice e-mailed to you). If you hold a duty credit account (account starting with 539) with DHL then please ignore the duty payment message.
Track your shipment: Email the Airway Bill number as the subject to track@dhl.com.you can also visit our website www.dhl.com for further information on your shipment.
In case any more information needed please contact our 24 * 7 Customer Service @ 1800 111 345 (MTNL / BSNL) / 1800 200 1345 (Private lines) for status of your shipments.
Pay customs duties and texes at your convenience, in a secure environment. Visit htxxp://paydutytaxes.dhlestore.com
For making payments through RTGS / NEFT please note our bank details: Bank Name: DEUTSCHE BANK | A / C NO. : 0606251001 | MICR NO.400200002 | IFSC / RTGS Code of branch DEUT0784BBY
Regards,
DHL Express
Note -
If you are not the right person in your organization to get this e-mail, please write to your Sales representative with e-mail id to whom the pre-alerts need to be sent.
.Tiff attachments can be opened in Internet Explorer.
.PDF attachments can be opened by having Adobe Acrobat installed on your computer.
Screenshot of the malicious attachment distributed via this spam campaign ("DHL Receipt AWB 9892671327.xls"):
Instant automatic malware removal:
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Quick menu:
- What is "DHL - Customs Clearance" 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?
Spam messages are not personal, even if they include details relevant to the recipients. Thousands of users receive identical ones, as this mail is sent out in massive campaigns.
I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?
No, reading an email poses no infection threat; devices 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 can influence infection success rates. Once opened, executables (.exe, .run, etc.) cause infections almost without fail. However, some formats – like documents (.xls, .doc, .one, .pdf, etc.) – may require additional actions. Hence, malware download/installation can only be triggered after macro commands are enabled, embedded content is 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 possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support. However, if you've disclosed other private data (e.g., ID card details, passport photos/scans, credit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact the appropriate authorities.
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?
Yes, Combo Cleaner is designed to scan devices and remove all kinds of threats. It can detect and eliminate practically all known malware infections. Keep in mind that sophisticated malicious programs typically hide deep within systems – hence, performing a complete system scan is crucial.
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