How to identify scams like "ZOHO Mail Interruption Notice"

What is "ZOHO Mail Interruption Notice scam"?

Our team has analyzed this email and uncovered that it is a phishing email created to trick recipients into disclosing personal information on a fake web page. This fraudulent email is disguised as a notification from an email service provider. Whoever receives it should ignore it to avoid privacy risks.

More about the "ZOHO Mail Interruption Notice scam" scam email

This fraudulent email informs the recipient of a supposed "unusual interruption" in their email service, which allegedly caused an email to be withheld due to a temporary server problem. The email urges the recipient to click the provided "Review Messages Now" button/link to check these withheld messages, suggesting that they might miss important communications otherwise.

Clicking the provided button leads to a fake ZOHO sign-in website that requests visitors enter their email address (or mobile number) and password to access accounts. This page is designed to deceive users into disclosing their email account login credentials.

Scammers who gain access to an email account can steal sensitive information, send phishing messages or malware to contacts, and reset passwords for linked accounts. Also, they can try to access other accounts, including banking and social media, with the same login credentials.

This can lead to identity theft, financial loss, and serious privacy issues for the victim, making carefulness with suspicious emails important.

Threat Summary:

Name	ZOHO Mail Interruption Notice Scam
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Email was withheld due to a temporary server issue.
Disguise	Mail interruption notice
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.

Similar scam emails in general

These emails usually prompt recipients to act quickly and are designed to look like important notifications or messages from trusted sources. Scammers use them to gather personal information, such as login credentials or credit card details, and may also use email as a way to spread malware.

Examples of similar email scams are "Outlook - Upgraded Version Now Available", "Mailbox Security Maintenance", and "Capital One - Unrecognized Transaction Claim".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Cybercriminals behind fraudulent emails intended to distribute malware include malicious attachments or links. These attachments usually are malicious MS Office documents, PDFs, executables, script files, or archives. Malware infiltrates systems when users execute it by enabling macros commands in malicious MS Office documents, opening infected executables, or taking other actions.

Links included in emails of this kind can take users to web pages designed to trick visitors into downloading malicious content (files or programs). These sites can also be created to download malware on computers automatically.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Carefully examine emails before opening attachments or clicking links, especially if they come from unknown senders or seem irrelevant, unexpected, etc. Download software and files from trusted sources, such as official websites and reputable app stores. Avoid using other sources and downloading pirated software and cracking tools.

Avoid interacting with ads, pop-ups, buttons, or links on untrustworthy websites. Keep your operating system and applications up to date. Use a reliable security tool for protection. If you have already opened malicious attachments, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.

Text presented in the "ZOHO Mail Interruption Notice scam" email letter:

Subject: Please Review Urgently

Organization Logo Action Required: Mail Interruption Notice

Dear ********,

We noticed an unusual interruption affecting your email services. A email was withheld due to a temporary server issue.

Please review these messages at your earliest convenience to ensure you're not missing out on crucial communications.
Review Messages Now

Need assistance? Our Help Center is here for you.
© 2024 ZOHO CORP. All rights reserved.

Screenshot of the fake website:

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 ZOHO Mail Interruption Notice scam 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?

This email was likely sent to a broad audience (to a large number of email addresses), meaning it was not personally directed at you. Typically, scammers obtain email addresses from data breaches, deceptive websites, or other sources.

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

If you have shared your login information, it is essential to update any passwords that might be affected right away. Also, if available, turn on two-factor authentication for extra security.

I have downloaded and opened a file attached to an email, is my computer infected?

The risk of infection depends on the type of file you open. For example, if you open an infected Word document but do not enable macros, you may have avoided an attack. However, if you run an infected executable file, your system will likely be compromised.

I have read the email but did not open the attachment, is my computer infected?

Reading emails is safe. Malware can infiltrate computers via attached files or links.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections that were present in email attachment?

Combo Cleaner effectively detects and removes most known malware infections. However, because sophisticated malware often hides deep in the system, it’s crucial to run a complete system scan.

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