Avoid losing your account via fake "Webmail Validation Notice" emails
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What kind of email is "Webmail Validation Notice"?
Our inspection of the "Webmail Validation Notice" email revealed that it is spam. This message claims that incoming emails are failing to reach the recipient's inbox due to an unresolved error. With this lure, the letter tricks users into visiting a phishing website that targets email account log-in credentials.
"Webmail Validation Notice" email scam overview
This spam email states that some of the incoming messages have been put on hold because of an unresolved error. The recipient is urged to resolve these issues and recover their email by following the provided instructions.
Supposedly, after several sign-in attempts, the recipient will be redirected to their email homepage, and the recovery process will begin automatically.
It must be emphasized that the claims made by this email are false, and this mail is not associated with any genuine service providers or other entities.
After a user presses the "Recover Your Email Account." button, they are redirected to a phishing site imitating their email sign-in webpage. Log-in credentials entered into this website are recorded and sent to scammers. Stolen emails can be misused in various ways, e.g., sensitive information could be used for blackmail, or the accounts/platforms/services registered through them might get hijacked.
To expand upon the latter, cyber criminals can steal account owners' identities (e.g., emails, social media, social networking, etc.) and request loans or donations from contacts/friends/followers, promote scams, and spread malware by sharing malicious links/files.
Furthermore, stolen finance-related accounts (e.g., e-commerce, money transferring, digital wallets, online banking, etc.) can be used to make fraudulent transactions and online purchases.
To summarize, by trusting an email like "Webmail Validation Notice" – users can experience severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.
| Name | "Webmail Validation Notice" phishing email |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Incoming emails were withheld due to an unresolved error. |
| 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. |
Phishing spam campaign examples
We have analyzed countless spam campaigns; "Email Address Included In The Blacklist", "Signed Invoice", "Full Storage Notification", "Capital One - Disputed Payment Posted To Your Account", and "Truist - Disputed Transactions Posted To Your Account" are just some of our newest articles on phishing emails.
The most commonly targeted data includes log-in credentials, personally identifiable information, and finance-related data. Various scams are promoted through spam mail, and it is used to proliferate malware.
These emails are often poorly written and full of mistakes, but they can also be competently made and even convincingly disguised as messages from legitimate entities (e.g., companies, service providers, institutions, organizations, authorities, etc.).
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Spam campaigns spread malware by distributing malicious files as attachments or download links. These files come in various formats, e.g., archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), documents (Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, PDF, etc.), JavaScript, and so on.
Malware download/installation is triggered once such a file is opened. Some formats need additional actions to initiate infection processes. 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 strongly recommend approaching incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages with caution. Attachments or links present in suspect/irrelevant mail must not be opened, as they can be infectious.
However, malware is distributed using various methods. Therefore, we advise being cautious while browsing since fake and malicious online content usually appears genuine and innocuous.
Additionally, all downloads must be made from official and verified channels. Another recommendation is to activate and update software using legitimate functions/tools, as those obtained from third-parties can contain malware.
It is paramount to have a reputable anti-virus installed and kept up-to-date. Security programs must be used to run regular system scans and to remove detected threats and issues. 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 "Webmail Validation Notice" spam email letter:
Subject: Email Notifications: You have Pending Messages on Your Email Server ********
Webmail Validation Notice
Hello ********,
,
We noticed that some of your incoming messages have been put on hold due to unresolved errors in your email account ********
Follow the instructions below to resolve/recover your account.
Recover Your Email Account.
Note: After two (3) attempts of your login input, it will redirect you to your mail homepage and recovery of your email account will start automatically.
Regards,
******** Security Team
Copyright ©2024
Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by the "Webmail Validation Notice" spam campaign:
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Quick menu:
- What is "Webmail Validation Notice" 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?
Emails are not personal, even if they include information relevant to the recipients. This mail is sent out 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 without delay. However, if you have disclosed other private data (e.g., ID card details, passport scans, 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?
No, merely reading an email is harmless. 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?
If the opened file was an executable (.exe, .run, etc.) – most likely, yes – your device was compromised. However, you might have avoided the infection if it was a document (.doc, .xls, .pdf, .one, etc.). These formats may need additional user interaction (e.g., enabling macros, clicking embedded content, etc.) to begin downloading/installing malware.
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?
Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and eliminate nearly all known malware infections. Remember that running a full system scan is essential since high-end malicious software usually hides deep within systems.
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