How to identify fake notifications like "Blockchain.com - Verify Your Email Address"

What is "Blockchain.com - Verify Your Email Address"?

We have examined this email and discovered that it includes a fake notification regarding a blockchain[.]com account. The scammers behind it aim to trick recipients into disclosing personal information through a deceptive web page. Recipients should not interact with the contents of this email and should ignore it.

More about the "Blockchain.com - Verify Your Email Address" scam email

This scam email claims that the recipient's Blockchain account badges are expiring and urges them to take immediate action. It instructs the recipient to verify their email address and login using their wallet ID. The email provides the "Yes, I Confirm This is Mv Email Address" button/link. Clicking this button opens a fake blockchain[.]com website.

On this fake site, users are urged to activate their badge by logging into an account using a 12-word secret private key, which is a key element of blockchain security. By requesting this information, scammers aim to access the users' wallets. This access effectively hands over control of the wallet to the scammers, who can then drain all available assets and conduct transactions.

Recovering stolen cryptocurrency is very difficult. Once the scammer has your funds, they cannot be reversed because blockchain transactions are permanent. Thus, it is important to be careful with suspicious emails and websites to protect yourself from crypto scams.

Threat Summary:

Name	Blockchain.com - Verify Your Email Address Scam
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Recipient's Blockchain account badges are expiring
Related Domain	grupovalmac[.]com
Detection Names (grupovalmac[.]com)	Combo Cleaner (Malware), ESET (Phishing), Fortinet (Phishing), Lionic (Malware), Sophos (Phishing), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Disguise	Letter regarding a Blockchain account
Symptoms	Unofficial domain, urgent language, poor grammar and spelling, suspicious links, generic greeting.
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

Phishing emails typically masquerade as messages from trusted sources. Their purpose is to deceive recipients into sharing sensitive personal information. These emails often contain links or attachments and encourage users to open them. Scammers use this tactic to steal information like login credentials, credit card numbers, and identification details.

Additionally, these fraudulent emails may also trick recipients into inadvertently running malware on their devices. Some examples of scam emails are "Payment Has Been Sent", "Treasurer Shared A Folder", and "MetaMask Wallet Verification".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Cybercriminals use email to distribute malware by sending attachments (files) or links in their deceptive messages. Computers can become infected upon opening malicious files presented in such emails. However, not all files can infect computers immediately. For instance, malicious MS Office documents cannot inject malware unless users enable macro commands.

Links in these fraudulent emails can lead users to websites designed to trick them into downloading malicious files or software. These links may also redirect users to sites that automatically download malware onto their devices.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Always check emails carefully before opening attachments or clicking links. Do not interact with files or links from unknown senders, especially if the emails seem unexpected or irrelevant. Avoid downloading pirated software, cracking tools, or key generators, and steer clear of risky sources such as P2P networks, third-party downloaders, and unofficial pages.

Only download software and files from trusted sources, like official websites and app stores. Be cautious of ads and pop-ups on suspicious websites, and regularly scan your system with a reliable security program. If you have already opened malicious attachments, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.

The appearance of the fake blockchain[.]com website (GIF):

Text presented in the "Blockchain.com - Verify Your Email Address" email letter:

Subject: Immediate Action Required: Your Blockchain Account Badges Expire Today

Blockchain[.]com
Verify Your Email Address

In our continuing efforts to enhance user trust and safety,

we invite you to update your account verification with us.
Yes, I Confirm This Is My Email Address

Use your unique Wallet ID to log into your Blockchain wallet.

Thank you for using a Blockchain wallet.
© 2023 Blockchain[.]com

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 Blockchain.com - Verify Your Email Address phishing attempt?
• 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?

Scammers often send identical emails to large groups of people, without personalizing the content. They obtain email addresses through data breaches, fake websites that gather information, and other similar methods.

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

Change your wallet account password/seed phrase immediately. Monitor the account for any suspicious activity, and review other accounts that may share the same or similar login details.

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

The risk of infection varies by file type. For example, opening executable files carries a higher risk, while document files like .pdf or .doc are generally safer since they do not automatically run malware.

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

No, your computer is not infected. Opening emails without clicking suspicious links or opening attachments is not harmful.

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

Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and removing most known malware. Advanced malware can embed itself deep within the system. Therefore, a full scan may be necessary to completely eliminate it.

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