Avoid losing your account via fake "Email Has Not Been Validated" emails

What kind of email is "Email Has Not Been Validated"?

Our inspection of the "Email Has Not Been Validated" message revealed that it is spam. This email claims several messages were not delivered to the inbox because the account has not been validated. When recipients attempt to address this issue, they are deceived into disclosing their email log-in credentials to a phishing website.

"Email Has Not Been Validated" email scam overview

The spam email with the subject "(3) PENDING MAILS!!" (may vary) states that three messages are queued up and pending delivery. This supposed issue arose because the email account had not been validated.

It must be stressed that the information in this message is false, and this mail is not associated with any real service providers or other entities.

This scam letter promotes a phishing site that imitates the recipient's email sign-in page. Log-in credentials entered into this website are recorded and sent to cyber criminals. Stolen emails can be variously abused, as not only can they include incredibly sensitive information, but they may also open an avenue for hijacking the accounts, platforms, and services registered through them.

To expand upon this, scammers can steal account owners' identities (e.g., emails, social networking/media, messages, chats, etc.) and request loans or donations from contacts/friends/followers, promote scams, and spread malware by sharing malicious links or files.

Hijacked finance-related accounts (e.g., e-commerce, money transferring, digital wallets, online banking, etc.) can be used to make fraudulent transactions and online purchases.

In summary, by trusting an email like "Email Has Not Been Validated" – users can experience severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

If you have already disclosed your log-in credentials – immediately change the passwords of all potentially compromised accounts and inform their official support.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Email Has Not Been Validated" phishing email
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Three emails failed to reach the inbox because the account has not been validated.
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.

Phishing spam campaign examples

We have written about countless spam campaigns; "Job Hai", "Christmas Sample", "Capital One - Your Password Has Been Changed", and "DHL - INCOMING PACKAGE NOTIFICATION" are merely a few of our latest articles on phishing emails.

These messages primarily target log-in credentials, personally identifiable details, and finance-related information. However, various scams are promoted through spam mail, and it is used to distribute malware.

While spam emails are often poorly put together and riddled with mistakes, they can be competently written and even believably disguised as messages from legitimate entities (e.g., service providers, organizations, companies, authorities, etc.).

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Spam campaigns are commonly used in malware proliferation. Deceptive emails/messages can include virulent files as attachments or download links. These files come in various formats, e.g., executables (.exe, .run, etc.), archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), documents (Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, PDF, etc.), JavaScript, and so on.

Once a malicious file is opened – the infection chain is initiated. However, some formats require additional interaction to jumpstart malware download/installation. For example, Microsoft Office files need users to enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content), while OneNote documents require them to click on embedded links or files.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages must be approached with caution. We advise against opening attachments or links found in dubious/irrelevant mail, as they can be harmful or infectious.

It must be mentioned that malware is not spread exclusively via spam mail. Therefore, we recommend being careful while browsing since fake and malicious online content usually appears genuine and harmless.

Furthermore, all downloads must be made from official and verified channels. Another recommendation is to activate and update programs using legitimate functions/tools, as illegal product activation ("cracking") tools and third-party updaters may contain malware.

It is essential to have a dependable anti-virus installed and kept updated. This software must be used to run regular system scans and to remove detected threats. 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 "Email Has Not Been Validated" spam email letter:

Subject: (3) PENDING MAILS!!

Your email messages are now queued up and pending delivery because your email has not been validated .
You are required to verify your Email: ******** to restore normal email delivery.

To Fix this issue
Verify Email Now

noreply ******** 3 message
Action Required Pending
High Priority.

Disclaimer: This email and its content are confidential and intended solely for the use of the addressee.This message was sent from an unmonitored e-mail address please do not reply to this message Privacy|TermSecured by Proofpoint Encryption, Copyright © 2009-2024 Proofpoint, Inc. All rights reserved.

Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by the "Email Has Not Been Validated" spam campaign:

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 "Email Has Not Been Validated" 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?

Even if a spam email includes information relevant to the recipient – that does not make it personal. These messages are distributed in large-scale campaigns – hence, thousands of users receive identical (or incredibly similar) emails.

I have provided my personal information when tricked by this 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 the disclosed information was of a different personal nature (e.g., ID card details, passport photos/scans, credit card numbers, etc.) – contact the appropriate authorities without delay.

I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?

Opening/Reading an email poses no infection threat; systems 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?

It is highly likely that the device was infected if the opened file was an executable (.exe, .run, etc.). However, you might have avoided the infection if it was a document (.doc, .xls, .one, .pdf, etc). These formats may need extra actions (e.g., enabling macros, clicking embedded content, etc.) to initiate malware download/installation.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Combo Cleaner is designed to scan systems and remove all kinds of threats. It can detect and eliminate most of the known malware infections. Remember that high-end malicious software typically hides deep within systems – therefore, performing a complete system scan is paramount.

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