How to recognize scams like "Payment Notification"

What kind of scam is "Payment Notification"?

Upon reviewing the email, we have determined it is a fake message disguised as a payment notification. It is created to appear legitimate but contains a misleading link designed to open a phishing website. This scam is designed to extract personal information from recipients. Thus, the email and the presented page should be avoided.

More about the "Payment Notification" scam email

This scam email claims that a payment of AED 53,200.00 has been successfully processed for the recipient's account and provides a fake transaction ID and date to make it seem legitimate. It encourages the recipient to click a link ("View Payment Details" button )to view the full payment details.

The email also includes a phone number (+971 4 823 4066) for contact. The link in this email leads to a fake website that replicates an email service provider based on the recipient's email address. For instance, if the recipient uses Gmail, the site will mimic the design of the Gmail login page.

On this deceptive website, potential victims are instructed to provide their email addresses and passwords to confirm their identity. However, the entered information is sent to scammers. Scammers can exploit this information in various ways.

For instance, they may gain access to email accounts and send phishing emails or malicious attachments to the victim's contacts. They could also look for sensitive personal details, try to break into other accounts like social media, or sell the stolen data to other criminals.

In short, falling for this phishing scam can result in identity theft, financial loss, and other issues. It is highly advisable to scrutinize emails carefully before clicking on links or sharing any personal information.

Threat Summary:

Name	Payment Notification Email Scam
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	A payment has been successfully processed
Disguise	Payment notification
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 deceptive emails are designed to trick recipients into revealing personal information. They often contain misleading links designed to open deceptive sites created to extract login credentials, credit card details, or other information. Users should always be cautious of unsolicited emails and verify the sender before clicking any links or opening attachments.

It is important to mention that emails of this kind can be used to deliver malware. Some examples of scam emails targeting personal information are "Blockchain Rewards", "Server Detected Network Error #404", and "Payroll Report Status".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Threat actors often trick users into executing malware by sending emails with malicious attachments or links. Malware can enter after running executable files, enabling macros in infected MS Office documents, opening script files, executing files within harmful archives, or taking other actions.

Also, untrustworthy emails can include links to malicious websites, which may deceive users into downloading malware or can trigger automatic downloads when opened. Either way, malware cannot infiltrate systems without user interaction.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Exercise caution with irrelevant, unexpected emails from unfamiliar sources, especially those with links or attachments. Use official websites and app stores for downloads (avoid using P2P networks, torrent sites, third-party downloaders, etc.). Regularly update your security software, applications, and operating system.

Do not click pop-ups, links, and ads on suspicious sites, and never permit such web pages to send you notifications. Additionally, make sure you have a reputable security tool installed on your computer. 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 "Payment Notification" email letter:

Subject: Payment Notification - Confirmation of Processed Transaction

Payment Notification

Dear Customer,

We are pleased to inform you that a payment has been successfully processed for your account. Please review the details below:

Amount: AED 53,200.00

Transaction ID: 2649388029

Date: November 12, 2024

To view the full payment details, please click the link below:
View Payment Details

If you have any questions, please contact us at +971 4 823 4066.

© 2024 arabtradingllc. All rights reserved.

Phishing website used in this scam:

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 Payment Notification 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?

This email is part of a phishing attempt. Usually, fraudsters behind phishing emails send the same emails to all recipients. They do not target anyone specifically (these attacks are random).

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

If you have shared personal information after being tricked by this email, change your passwords for affected accounts. Additionally, be cautious of further phishing attempts.

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

If you have downloaded and opened a malicious file, your computer could be infected. Whether your computer is infected depends on the file type. Executable files (like .exe or .bat) and script files (such as .js or .vbs) can directly infiltrate malware. Other infected files usually require additional interactions to deploy malware.

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

If you only read the email and did not open the attachment or link, your computer is not infected.

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

Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and remove nearly all known malware infections. However, advanced malware often hides deep within the system, so it is important to perform a full system scan to ensure complete removal.

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