How to identify scam emails like "Elon Musk - Donation From Change"

What is "Elon Musk - Donation From Change"?

We have inspected this email and concluded that it is a phishing email. It is created to appear as a legitimate message regarding an ability to claim a large sum of money. Scammers behind this deceptive email aim to steal personal information and (or) money from unsuspecting recipients.

More about the "Elon Musk - Donation From Change" scam email

This email is written in German and English. It claims to be from an organization called "Donation For Change" and informs the recipient that they are eligible to claim $1,000,000, supposedly from Elon Musk. It states that the funds are part of a charitable effort linked to Musk's alleged support of "Giving for victory at the USA Election".

If recipients respond to this email, the scammers may try to trick them into providing personal information, such as their full name, address, phone number, banking details, ID card information, Social Security numbers, etc. They may also claim recipients need to pay a "processing fee" or "taxes" before they can receive the supposed $1,000,000.

It is also possible that scammers may try to install malware on devices by getting recipients to download malicious files/programs or click harmful links. Victims of such scams might suffer monetary loss, have their identities stolen, have computers infected, and encounter other issues. It is important to recognize such emails and never respond to them (or open their contents).

Threat Summary:

Name	Elon Musk - Donation From Change Email Scam
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	The recipient can claim $1,000,000
Disguise	Letter from Donation For Change organization
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

Scam emails like these often promise large sums of money or prizes and use names of well-known people or companies to appear legitimate. They typically aim to trick recipients into revealing personal information or making payments. Sometimes, such emails are used to trick recipients into downloading malicious software.

Some examples of similar scam emails are "PayPal - Avira Security Purchase", "Google Foundation's E-mail Electronic Online Sweepstakes", and "Carlsberg Supply Quotation".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Cybercriminals spread malware via email by attaching harmful files or including malicious links. When users open these files, they risk infecting their devices. Malware can infiltrate systems immediately upon opening malicious files or after taking additional steps, like enabling macros in infected Office files. It depends on the file type.

Typically, threat actors use malicious executables, MS Office documents PDF files, archives, ISO files, and script files to deliver malware. Also, fraudulent emails with malicious links can lead users to websites that trick them into downloading malware, either by prompting manual downloads or starting the process automatically.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Always get software and files from trusted app stores or official websites. Note that using other sources can lead to malicious downloads, especially when downloading pirated software, cracking tools, and similar content. Regularly update the operating system and installed applications. Do not trust ads and pop-ups on questionable websites.

Avoid clicking links or opening files in irrelevant or unexpected emails from unknown senders. Use a reputable security tool and regularly scan your computer for threats. 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 "Elon Musk - Donation From Change" email letter:

Subject: Zuschuss von Elon Musk.

Hallo,

Ich wende mich von Donation For Change an Sie. Sie haben Anspruch auf 1.000.000,00 $ von Elon Musk.

Wir wurden ausgewählt, um eine Liste von Überweisungen von X Company abzuwickeln, die durch eine großzügige Spende von Elon Musk im Rahmen seines anhaltenden Engagements für den Sieg bei den US-Wahlen ermöglicht wurde.
---

Hello,

I am reaching out to you from Donation For Change. You are eligible to claim $1,000,000.00 from Elon Musk.

We have been selected to process a list of transfer from X Company, made possible by a generous contribution from Elon Musk as part of his ongoing commitment to Giving for victory at the USA Election. ---

Stephan Rawlins
Donation For Change
A legacy of generosity.

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 Elon Musk - Donation From Change fake 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?

Typically, these emails are generic and not targeted to any individual. Scammers send identical messages to thousands of people.

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

If you have sent login credentials to scammers, change your passwords right away. If you have given out other personal information, such as credit card numbers or ID details, reach out to the relevant authorities to prevent potential consequences.

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

Opening harmful attachments can lead to infections on your computer. The risk of infection varies depending on the type of file you open. For instance, executables can cause immediate harm, while malicious MS Office documents require users to enable macros commands.

I have sent cryptocurrency to the address presented in such email, can I get my money back?

These transactions are nearly impossible to trace, making it highly unlikely that you will be able to recover the funds.

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

Opening an email is safe. However, clicking links or opening attachments within a fraudulent email can lead to system infections.

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

Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and remove nearly all known malware. Advanced malware often hides deeply within the system. For this reason, it is important to run a full system scan to ensure the detection and removal of hidden malware.

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