Avoid losing your account via fake "Full Storage Notification" emails

What kind of email is "Full Storage Notification"?

After inspecting this "Full Storage Notification" email, we learned that it is spam. This message falsely claims that the recipient's inbox has reached capacity, which may lead to service interruptions. The purpose of "Full Storage Notification" is to lure recipients into a phishing website that targets email account log-in credentials (passwords).

"Full Storage Notification" email scam overview

The spam email with the subject "Free up space!" (may vary) informs the recipient that their inbox has reached its storage capacity. The message instructs to immediately clear out the cache to avoid email deletion and other issues. It must be stressed that the information in this letter is false, and this mail is not associated with any legitimate service providers.

When the "Clear Cache" button is pressed, the user is redirected to a phishing website that imitates their email sign-in page. Log-in credentials entered into this webpage are recorded and sent to scammers.

Stolen emails can be variously misused; sensitive data could be used for blackmail and the accounts/platforms/services registered through them could be hijacked as well. To expand upon this, scammers can steal the identities of account owners (e.g., emails, social networking/media, messengers, etc.) and ask for loans or donations from contacts/friends/followers, endorse scams, and spread malware by sharing malicious files/links.

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

In summary, victims of scam mail like "Full Storage Notification" can experience severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

If you have already provided your log-in credentials to a phishing site/file – immediately change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Full Storage Notification" phishing email
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Recipient's inbox is at capacity and this can pose issues with the email service.
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; "Salary Payment Sheet", "Capital One - Disputed Payment Posted To Your Account", "World Covid-19 Support Program (W.C.S.P)", "Employee Benefit/Payroll Update", and "Your Shipment With DHL Express Is On Its Way" are merely some of our latest articles on phishing emails.

Log-in credentials are not the only data targeted, personally identifiable details and finance-related information are often sought by these messages as well. Other types of scams are also promoted through spam mail, and it is used to distribute malware.

While the commonly held belief that these emails are poorly put together and riddled with mistakes is not untrue, it is not always the case. This mail can also be competently crafted and even believably disguised as messages from genuine entities (e.g., service providers, companies, institutions, organizations, authorities, etc.).

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Spam campaigns proliferate malware by distributing malicious files. They can be attached to or linked inside deceptive emails/messages. Virulent files can be archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), documents (Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, PDF, etc.), JavaScript, and so on.

Once opened, an infectious file initiates malware download/installation. However, some formats need additional user interaction to jumpstart infection chains. For example, Microsoft Office files require users to enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content), while OneNote documents need them to click on embedded links or files.

How to avoid installation of malware?

We highly recommend approaching incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages with care. Attachments or links present in this mail must not be opened, as they can be malicious.

However, malware is spread using various methods. Therefore, we advise being vigilant when browsing since fake and dangerous online content typically appears legitimate and harmless.

Another recommendation is to download only from official and verified sources. Additionally, all programs must be activated and updated using genuine functions/tools, as illegal activation ("cracking") tools and third-party updates can contain malware.

We must emphasize the importance of having a reputable anti-virus installed and kept up-to-date. Security 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 "Full Storage Notification" spam email letter:

Subject: Free up space!

Full Storage Notification

********

You have used up all your storage capacity. To prevent message from being clutered and deleted, you must clear the cache immediately to free up space.

Clear Cache

Note: Action is required before 26-11-2024.

******** 2024 Services.

Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by the "Full Storage Notification" spam campaign:

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Quick menu:

• What is "Full Storage 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?

Spam emails are not personal, even if they include relevant information. This mail is sent out in large-scale campaigns – hence, thousands of users receive identical (or incredibly similar) messages.

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

If you have disclosed you log-in credentials – change the passwords of all possibly compromised accounts and inform their official support without delay. However, if you have provided other private information (e.g., ID card details, passport scans/photos, credit/debit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact relevant authorities.

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

Reading an email is harmless, as 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?

File formats can influence infection success rates. Once opened, executables (.exe, .run, etc.) cause infections almost without fail. However, some formats – like documents (.doc, .xls, .pdf, .one, etc.) – may need additional actions. For example, malware download/installation is triggered after macro commands are enabled, embedded content is clicked, or other actions are performed.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and eliminating nearly all known malware infections. Keep in mind that performing a full system scan is paramount since high-end malicious programs tend to hide deep within systems.

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